Like Old Times
by Midsummer'sQueen
Summary: She could feel his hot breath on her cheeks, his fingers intertwined her hair, and all around them was the darkness. It whispered to her, reminded her of her weakness, her foolishness. It told her he was planning to kill her. ch 1-7 redone. 8 soon.
1. Omens

**Discalimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, and as such many things may (and will) deviate from the originial plot. This story is purely fan-based and has nothing to do with the actual show. (except for the underlining plot, of course.) **

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**Chapter One;** _Omens_

"_Hikari, wake up."_

Amari moaned, rolling over her left side to let her arm hang limp over the edge of her bedside. The gold bracelet dangling from her slender wrist glittered subtly in the soft ray of sunlight filtering through her open window, where a cool breeze kissed her bare shoulder and made her shiver.

She opened her eyes and met the transparent gaze of a beautiful Egyptian youth, her mouth pursed in something short of worry. Amari propped herself up and rubbed the sleepies from her eyes before stifling a yawn.

"_You were crying in your sleep again,"_ the spirit told her, and Amari answered her with a sigh.

"Sorry," she replied, pushing up to sit with her bare feet pressing down on plush carpet. The spirit hovered over her right side, following Amari as she moved to ready herself for the day, arms pressed to her chest.

"_Was it that dream again?"_ she asked softly, her expression gentle but her voice on edge. Amari paused before her vanity table, plucking up her brush and setting to the task of untangling the knots from her long, dark hair. She knew what dream the spirit was asking about, but she wasn't inclined to give an answer. Conjuring up her nightmares was never a pleasant thing, especially when she knew they were nothing short of reality.

Bile rose to the back of her throat as the vision of crumbling walls and her mother's screams filled her mind's eye, followed closely behind by sands greedily drinking up pools of blood flowing from her father's mangled fingers. She shooed the gruesome image away with a few more, hurried strokes through her hair before setting down the brush and opening her closet door.

"It doesn't matter, Rune." She muttered, parting the curtain of outfits in her way to find her favorite top. Rune sighed, watching her with calculated eyes but saying no more on the subject, knowing it would do no good to prod the girl further. Still, something was not right. Amari had not been haunted by the remembrance of her parents' deaths for over a year. Rune knew better than to overlook this omen, knowing last time she had been plagued by nightmares, it had been before the start of Pegasus's tournament, before grandfather Mouto was whisked away by the power of the Sennen Eye.

"I know what you're thinking, Rune," Amari eyed the spirit in the corner of her eye as she spoke, "but it's really nothing. Just because the nightmares came back, it doesn't mean some catastrophe is going to befall us,"

"_Do not underestimate the power of dreams,"_ She answered sagely, _"Or should I say, the mind. A person's mind is a powerful thing and is capable of miracles some find hard to comprehend."_ Amari rolled her eyes as she pulled her arms through her half-jacket and turned to face her past self.

"I thought you believed the brain was a useless part of a person's body," she challenged. She felt the spirit's aura prickle in response.

"_That was before I awoke to this life and met face-to-face the miracles your people have already accomplished."_ She bristled, and Amari had to fight off a grin the spirit already knew was coming as she recalled her first flight in the metal bird Amari had told her was an airplane. The shared memory passed between them like an electrical current and held the same shocking effect, though both were used to this by now. Amari just shook her head before heading down the steps into the part of the house that was hidden behind the Turtle Game Shop. She met Yugi by the couch, and he greeted her with a smile.

"Morning," he said warmly, which she answered in turn before plopping down next to him.

"Sup, cus?" she answered, ruffling his yet-to-be-brushed hair. He batted her hand away, but his smile stayed in place.

"There's was something at the door for you," he said before pointing to a small envelope on the table. "It doesn't have a return address, though." Curious, Amari picked up the envelope and unsealed it. She scanned the letter with half open eyes before her mouth fell open and she jumped up from the couch.

"Oh my god!" she screeched, surprising Yugi into jumping up with her.

"What? What is it?" he asked as she began moving across the room, still examining the letter. When a grin crossed her face he became even more confused.

"I can't believe this!" she cried happily. "They're coming _here_?"

"Who are?" Yugi asked, but she ignored him, letting loose a gleeful shout before bounding up the steps and leaving him to call after her uncertainly.

"_She seems pretty excited over whatever it is,_" The Pharaoh spoke up, materializing next to his counterpart. Yugi eyed him with a wary smile as Amari returned, jumping the last few steps and landing in front of them like an Olympic gymnast. In her hands were her keys and her purse.

"I have to go to the airport," she chattered excitedly. "My friends from Egypt are arriving this afternoon, so I'm going to go greet them." Yugi opened his mouth to ask for more details, but before he could she swooped down to give him a peck on the cheek and moved past him towards the door. She turned to wave goodbye to the two of them, beaming. "I'll be back sometime this afternoon!" Yugi held up a hand in farewell, but she was already gone.

"Wow," he murmured, "I haven't seen her that happy in a long time."

"_I didn't know she had close friends back in Egypt,"_ the ancient spirit said, turning to Yugi. _"Did you?"_ Yugi shook his head.

"She never talked much about her past before coming to live with me and Grandpa." He replied, looking a bit miffed. "I just sort of assumed, since she never talked about it, that she didn't really remember anything from her time there."

"_Hm,"_ was the Pharaoh's only reply, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought.

When Amari arrived at the airport, she found herself incredibly surprised. _What's all this security doing here?_ She thought, trying to look past a few men in dark suits. She glanced over the one man standing next to her, reading the header of his name tag. It read, "Domino Museum Security", piquing her interest.

"_I remember seeing signs for a new exhibit earlier this week_," Rune spoke up. _"Perhaps the shipment came in today,"_

_Oh, right._ Amari agreed, but she soon lost interest in all that when she saw a familiar figure walk through the terminal. "Ishizu!" she cried out happily, pushing past the guard next to her. The Egyptian woman looked up and smiled upon seeing her. Amari returned the smile, only to feel herself being pulled back by a rough hand.

"Where do you think you're going," the guard demanded gruffly, tightening his grip on her arm.

"Hey!" Amari cried. "Let go!" The guard merely snorted, grabbing her other arm and forcing her hands behind her back as if to cuff her.

"Fat chance, kid," he replied. "Can't have you getting too close."

"I'm just here to pick up a friend-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," he cut her off, tightening his grip on her as she struggled, "except the only people on this plane are for the exhibit."

"But-"

"It's alright," came a soft voice, and the two of them looked over to see Ishizu standing before them, a serene smile on her face. "I invited her here," Amari gave a relived smile before turning back to gloat at the security guard still holding her. The guard returned her grin with a deadpanned expression and promptly let her go.

"My apologies," he said, but it was directed to Ishizu rather than at her. "I was merely following the security measures you asked for," Ishizu nodded knowingly.

"Yes, you were. Thank you," she replied before placing a hand on Amari's shoulder. "Now would you be so kind as to help with the rest of the shipment? I have business with my young friend here," The guard nodded solemnly before turning to leave, shooting Amari one last, suspicious glance. As soon as he was out of sight, Amari lunged into the older girl's arms.

"Ishizu, I missed you so much!" she cried. Ishizu lightly returned the hug before pulling away, smiling in her usual, serene way.

"It has been awhile, Amari." She agreed warmly, hands resting on her shoulders. "You've certainly grown up since I last saw you," Amari beamed in response before looking past her towards the crowds beyond them. After a few minutes of scanning the sea of people, her smile fell into a frown of confusion.

"Are you… alone?" she asked suddenly. Ishizu's smile became a strained, thin line as she began to steer Amari towards a café close by.

"Unfortunately, my brothers couldn't make the trip," she sighed. "I'm hoping to meet up with them eventually, but that might not be for a while…"

"Oh." Amari replied as she scanned the crowds with one last, disappointed look before Ishizu lead her towards a small table in the back of the café, far from the windows.

They ordered their drinks when a boy came over to take their orders and returned to their conversation. Mostly the two of them just caught up, Amari telling Ishizu about her life in Domino and how long it had taken her to adjust. The older woman smiled politely throughout their conversation, but Amari could tell something was bothering her.

"So, you're in charge of the new exhibit?" she asked, deciding to move the subject on to the present.

Ishizu nodded, showing a real smile for the first time in the last hour. "I have a press conference tonight on its grand opening. It's an exhibit chronicling the history of the Egyptian games." Rune's aura prickled in response.

_What is it, Rune?_ Amari asked. She felt as her counterpart shivered within her soul chamber.

"_I've just received a horrible sense of foreboding."_ She answered. Before Amari could ask her to elaborate, Ishizu suddenly stood up.

"I'm sorry, my friend." She apologized. "I must get going if I am to make it in time for my meeting. You're more than welcome to come to the conference, if you would like. Duelists have been invited to attend." Amari felt herself deflate, but she kept her smile in place.

"No, no, it's alright," she assured her. "I should be getting back home anyway,"

"One more thing," Ishizu grasped her hand in a gentle but firm grip, her eyes unreadable. "I'm certain you've heard of the tournament that is to take place in the coming days. I also know you've been contemplating whether or not you should enter."

"What?" Amari asked incredulously. "How did you know that?" Gingerly Ishizu stroked the gold adornment hanging from her neck, drawing Amari to the Eye of Horus at its center. When she looked back at Ishizu she found the older girl staring at her with a calculating expression.

"Amari, you must enter the tournament." She told her. "You will play an important part in the events that are to take place. You will be given a choice, and when that time comes, you must make the choice to help him." Shivers ran up her spine as Ishizu's words passed through her. Amari wanted to jerk her hand away, but Ishizu held onto her in a vice-like grip. "Please," she whispered before letting her go. "You must help him."

Amari pulled back, thoroughly frightened. Inside her soul chamber, Rune's aura was intensifying to the point where she was certain they would switch places. After a few more moments of pregnant silence, Ishizu let loose a silvery laugh. "I'm sorry," she chuckled. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was merely teasing…" Amari shot the Egyptian woman a wary look before relaxing again, but something told her she had been far from kidding.

"That was a terrible joke," she decided to mutter sourly in response, earning another short laugh.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "I tend to have a poor sense of humor. But I really must be going now," She left exact change on the counter for the waiter before turning to leave, offering Amari one more, guarded smile before exiting the shop and slipping back into the crowds. Amari watched her go with a hint of amazement, her stomach cramping uncomfortably as she replayed her serious expression only moments ago…

"So you're going to enter?"

Amari sighed, playing with the end of her braid as her and Aki strolled through the Plaza. Yugi had stated he had errands to run with Anzu that morning, so she had decided to relay her time with Ishizu to her best friend instead. She had kept out the cryptic message Ishizu had "joked" about, deciding it might not be the best thing to bring up when she herself had no idea what Ishizu had meant.

"Yeah," she finally answered as they stopped to eye some tops in a small boutique window. "I mean, I didn't get to finish Duelist Kingdom, so why not make this tournament my clean slate, you know?" Aki rolled her eyes skyward, but she didn't comment. She knew Amari didn't like thinking about the last tournament and what had happened during.

"I just don't see the point in you dueling when you're not even into it." Aki chided. "You even said so yourself it's more Yugi's thing than anything."

"And what's wrong with me wanting to try my hand at it?" Amari snapped. "Just because I failed the last time doesn't mean I shouldn't try again," Through the reflection Amari could see Yugi and Anzu weaving their way through the crowds and towards them and turned to offer a wave. "Besides," she continued, "Yugi and Gramps are both into Duel Monsters. This could be a good way for me to get into it with them," _And figure out what Ishizu meant._ She added in her head just as Yugi and Anzu reached them. She gave her cousin one look over. Had she meant to help Yugi? Was something going to happen to him otherwise? Automatically she wrapped Yugi in a hug, who answered it with a bit of confusion. Even when he let go she still clung loosely to his hand, Ishizu's mysterious message suddenly making her wary. She could feel Anzu eyeing them, but she didn't care.

"How did today go?" Aki asked, feeling the slight tension between the three of them. Graciously, Yugi shot her a smile and informed them of their visit to the museum. Automatically Amari felt her interest pique as she head Ishizu's named mentioned, but she wisely stayed quiet, deciding she would rather talk to Yugi about it in private.

"_I feel a hostile presence."_ Rune hissed, causing Goosebumps to run across Amari's skin as she felt it, too. She let go of Yugi's hand as she scanned the crowds, ignoring him when he asked if everything was alright. Despite Rune's warning she couldn't see anyone that could really be that much of a threat, but her Goosebumps intensified the longer she looked into the sea of duelists. She took a solitary step forward, the noise around her fading into the background as she searched. Ishizu's message would not leave her head, and it blocked out everything while the sense of danger was near.

"Welcome Duelists-"

Amari jumped when Kaiba's voice suddenly boomed from above them, breaking her out of her trance and throwing her back into reality. She spun to see the stern face of the spirit who shared Yugi's body, his lips pursed into a question of worry. She offered him a fluttering smile, but he didn't look happy with it. When Kaiba began explaining the tournament and its rules he turned his attention back to above them, but the unspoken demand of "We'll talk later" hung in the air between them.

Amari let out a breath. The hostile feeling left her, allowing her to relax again. She tried her best to listen to the rest of what Kaiba was explaining, but despite the fact the disturbing presence was gone, she couldn't shake the feeling she and the others were being watched. This time it was the spirit who reached for her hand, and she gladly took it.

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**Author's Note;**

**As you've probably read in the summary, I am currently rewriting the first handful of chapters of this Fanfiction, seeing as how it is now running on three years old and is currently in desperate need of a tune-up. Please bear with me as my progress will more than likely be slow as I try to also finish up the last few chapters of this story. Thank you.**

**-M_q_**


	2. Double Take

**Chapter Two**; _Double Take_

Aki sat on the edge of the fountain, her fingers fumbling across the keypad of her cell phone. It was four days after the start of the tournament, but she had yet to see Amari or her famous cousin wandering about Domino's streets. She sighed, winding a black curl around her finger as she once again scanned the crowd of duelists. Aki herself was just an observer, accompanying her boyfriend of seven months as he fought his competitors.

Aki stood when she spotted him weaving his way through the crowd, and she waved to him enthusiastically. Ryou smiled as he drew nearer to her, offering a tiny wave in response.

"Any sign of them?" he asked in his soft, British accent, making her heart flutter. Even now he still had that effect on her. She shook her head and rescanned the crowd so he couldn't see the blush creeping onto her pale cheeks.

"Not yet," she answered, "but I texted Amari to see where she was," Just as she spoke her phone rang, and Aki held it close to her ear. "Hello?" she asked into the receiver.

"Aki!" came Amari's chipper voice on the other end, and Aki's face lit up into a wide smile.

"Who is it, your girlfriend?" a husky voice whispered in her other ear, causing her to quickly cover the phone with her hand. She turned to glare at the thief spirit, whose face was now daringly close to hers.

"Shut it," she snapped at him. Instead of doing as he was told, Bakura leaned close against her, his hand trailing across her back.

"Sometimes I think you like her more than me," he continued. "I'm a bit jealous," Aki rolled her eyes and pushed him away. She was already used to his teasing. It had become a daily occurrence once she started dating Ryou.

"You're right on that," she hissed, "because I _don't _like you. I like Amari, and I love Ryou. Now stop bothering me and go away. People are staring," With that she turned back to the phone, her voice going from angry to bubbly in a matter of seconds. "Hey Mar! Where are you guys?"

"By the fountain in the middle of the square," came her reply, causing Aki to crane her neck to once again scan the sea of faces.

"Well so are we, but I don't see you," she said. "Hold on, I'm going to stand on the fountain," She took the phone away from her ear and turned back to Bakura, who was looking off into the distance with a bore expression.

"They're already here, so if you don't want to run into that guy you hate, I suggest you give Ryou back control," In reply, the spirit snorted, glancing over at her with mild interest. Aki shot him another warning glance before jumping up onto the stone ledge surrounding the fountain.

"Can you see me yet?" she asked into the receiver. There was a slight pause before Amari answered again.

"Yeah, I see you. Be there in a sec," With that Aki hung up the phone and placed it back in her pocket. She looked down at Bakura with hands on her hips. "What's with you today?" she asked irately. "They'll be here any second, so stop sulking and change back already,"

Bakura glanced up at her again, his eyes narrowing.

"I may be tolerant of you," he growled, "but don't get the idea in your head that you have any control over me," Aki didn't say anything back, but she felt a shiver run up her spine. She was so used to his childish teasing that sometimes she forgot how dangerous he actually was. "I'll return to my soul chamber, _for now_, but not out of respect for you," he continued. "Just remember this the next time something comes up that I can't ignore," Aki stiffened, a sense of foreboding washing over her, but Bakura had already switched places with Ryou. A few seconds later, Amari came bounding around the side of the fountain, her cousin and his friends in tow.

"Aki! Ryou!" she cried before barreling into them for a massive group hug. Aki felt herself teeter back from the impact, but her attention was more focused on the boy next to her. He looked a bit dazed, his eyes glossed over as if he'd just woken from a dream, but otherwise he looked like his normal self. When he replied to Amari's greeting with a smile and a weak pat of the back, she relaxed.

Amari released them as Yugi and the usual group came up behind her. They greeted the pair with familiarity, but that was about it. Aki shrugged it off, knowing that they weren't being distant in actual spite.

_Anyone would want to keep their distance after learning about Bakura_, she thought, giving her boyfriend another sideways glance.

"So," she said out loud while rubbing her palms together. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Before anyone could answer her, a man dressed in a purple cloak approached the group. He threw back his hood to reveal a face devoid of any color. Everything, from his skin tone to his eye color to his hair, was pale. His features were remarkably handsome, even with the frown weighing down the corners of his mouth.

"Which of you is Yugi Mouto?" he demanded, his colorless eyes scanning the group before him. Yugi stepped forward so he could be seen by the stranger, instead of staying hidden behind the others.

"I am," he spoke up boldly. "Why have you been looking for me?" The boy's frown transformed into a vicious grin.

"My name is Auron, and I'm here to accomplish what my comrade failed to the other day," He pulled the duel disk out from under his cloak. "Yugi Mouto, in the name of my master Malik I challenge you!"

Yugi's eyes glossed over, and his personality switched with the Pharaoh. Brandishing his own duel disk, he narrowed his eyes.

"I accept," He answered.

Amari took a slight step back, as if she had been dealt a blow to the chest. Did that goon just say _Malik_? As in Ishizu's brother Malik, the boy she'd been so anxious to see?

_This can't be happening,_ she thought to herself, feeling a bit sick. _It can't be him! Malik isn't evil!_

"_The Malik _you knew_ wasn't_," Rune replied seriously. "_It's been six years since you left Egypt, Amari. A lot could have happened to change him in that time_,"

"I don't believe it," she muttered angrily out loud. "No, I refuse to believe they're the same person,"

Aki glanced over at her best friend, hearing her soft words and noticing her stiff expression. She reached over and grasped her hand, causing her to jump.

"You need some air?" she asked, her eyebrows knitted together in worry. "You look kinda sick," Amari pursed her lips, her eyes darting between the heated duel before them and Aki's concerned face.

"Yeah," she finally replied. "I'm gonna go sit somewhere. Call me when the duel is over with." Aki nodded in reply before letting go of her hand and watching her maneuver her way through the crowds and out of her sight.

A short while later, the duel ended with Yugi being the winner. Cheers rose up from the group and others who had gathered to witness the spectacle. Auron grimaced, begrudgingly handing over his locater card and his _Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys_.

"This is far from over, Mouto," he spat. "There are many more, stronger opponents than me who serve under my master. Be prepared, because your doom is close at hand,"

"What a melodramatic," Jounochi muttered as Auron slipped through the crowds and blended in with the other duelists milling about. After pocketing his spoils, the Pharaoh switched once again with Yugi, who smiled as the group came over to congratulate him. He smiled bashfully at their praise until he realized someone was missing.

"Where's Amari?" he asked, automatically looking around the immediate area for her.

"She went to sit down somewhere because she wasn't feeling well," Aki answered. "I'll call her to tell her that the duel is over with," Aki dialed Amari's number, but she scowled when the only reply she received was the voicemail. "Weird. She didn't pick up,"

Yugi was unsure why, but he felt an uncomfortable prickling sensation when Aki couldn't get in touch with Amari.

"We should split up and look for her," he announced suddenly. "She might be lost or wandered out of range because of the crowds," The others agreed, but as they split off in random directions, Yugi couldn't help but feel that something was very wrong.

Amari stood wither her arms crossed together in front of a clothing boutique, pretending to window shop. In reality her mind was swirling with confusing and anger. The anger came from the fact that everything fit together to point towards Auron's Malik being her Malik. The confusion came from wondering why he was targeting her cousin.

_Does he even know I'm here?_ She wondered with a heavy sigh. _Does he even realize that Yugi is the cousin I left home to live with after Mom and Dad died? Is that why he's being targeted? _

Amari hadn't been with Yugi on the second day of the tournament, the day they met the first man in a purple cloak. All that Yugi had told her was that a new terrorist group had shown up in the tournament and to be careful. He also said that the eye of Horus had shown up on the man's head after he'd lost the duel, tipping them off to the fact that their leader had one of the Sennen Items.

Amari put a hand to her temple as her head began to throb. All she felt like doing was going home to sleep. Screw Kaiba's stupid tournament. She hadn't wanted to be a part of it from the beginning.

As she turned away from the window, the reflection of something behind her caught her eye. She caught the image of the end of a cape doing down a back alley and… was that gold?

_Malik, you have a lot of explaining to do, _she thought, spinning around and heading straight for the alleyway the person went into.

She halted as soon as she rounded the corner, cussing slightly under her breath when she noticed it was a dead end and no one was in sight. Maybe she really was sick and had started hallucinating. But as she turned to exit the alleyway she was blocked by a man in a purple cloak.

Amari gasped, backing up, but the man was too fast and grabbed her with ease. She went to scream when a gag was violently tied over her mouth. Her assaulters moved her farther into the shadow of the building so passer-bys couldn't see the crime they were committing. Amari thrashed against them as they began tying restraints around her arms and legs. Another blindfold was tied securely over her eyes. She heard as one of the men spoke low into a device to "bring the car around". Amari's chest tightened. She was being kidnapped!

Two pairs of hands lifted her, still struggling, and tossed her roughly into the back seat of some type of vehicle. How was nobody noticing this? It wasn't like kidnappings were common around here! Her head hit against the cup holder as the driver pushed hard on the accelerator. She attempted to twist her body into a more comfortable direction, but all that earned her was a kick from one of the kidnappers sitting above her. She growled angrily to show her disproval, but that only earned her another kick from her other captor.

"Shut up," he grunted, and she paused when she felt that the voice was somehow familiar.

"_It's the boy who dueled the Pharaoh in the square_," Rune told her, currently hovering above Amari's head, unseen by the men sitting beside her.

_Where are we?_ Amari asked silently. Rune shifted her gaze to the window, going through the body of one of the captors in order to see. The man shivered, complaining the air conditioning was too high. Rune withdrew herself and went back to hovering over Amari.

"_We're at the docks_," she said, just as the car stopped moving. "_It appears we have a boat to catch_,"

More hands grabbed her and roughly hauled her out of the car. They led her down one of the piers, forcing her to stop at the edge of where she assumed a ladder waited. She shrieked under her gag when she was suddenly scooped up into the arms of one of her captors and passed down until she reached the bottom of a small boat.

After a short trip they stopped, appearing to have reached their destination. A pair of hands, not as rough as before, grabbed hold of her wrists. The owner of those hands leaned towards her.

"I'm going to untie you so you can climb the rope," he said in a low, threatening voice that Amari realized belonged to Auron, "but if you even _think_ about trying to escape I've ordered these men to shoot you. Do you understand?" Amari nodded, her heart pounding. She could tell he wasn't merely saying empty words. She felt as first her legs were unbound, then her wrists, and then she was hauled onto her feet and spun quickly in another direction causing her head to spin. A rope ladder met her hands.

"Climb," the person behind her ordered, and Amari obeyed without hesitation. After what felt like years she finally reached the top, where she was greeted by more rough hands that instantly began to drag her down into a lower part of the ship. Amari didn't fight, finding herself completely exhausted. By this time, she just wanted to meet their master and be done with it.

The hands forced her to stop as one knocked on something in front of them. A muffled reply that sounded like permission for them to enter, the hand pushed her through the doorway and forced her into a kneeling position. Her gag, much to her relief, was removed, followed along shortly by the cloth covering her eyes.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, the room she was now in being poorly lit. She looked around herself first and found that she was completely surrounded by men in purple cloaks. Finally she looked up at the person standing before her, and her heart plummeted as she met a pair of familiar, lavender eyes.

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**Author's Note;**

**This is _so_ much better than my original chapter two. I'm so glad I decided to rewrite the first few chapters of this story. **

**Oh, and greetings to all of you new readers! lease don't forget to review with your thoughts. Your critiques are what make this story better.**

**-M_q_**


	3. Confrontation

**Chapter Three;** _Confrontation _

"Malik," she breathed. She attempted to rise to her feet, but she was automatically forced back to her knees by the man standing behind her. His foot dug into the arch of her back.

"You will rise when the master wishes it," the man's gruff voice floated down to her. Amari craned her neck as much as she could but she only caught a glimpse of Malik's hand as he waved the man off of her. His foot left her back, but before she had a chance to relax, strong fingers grasped her arm and hauled her to her feet.

As the man let go, Malik stepped forward. The more Amari stared at him, the more she was certain it was the same Malik she'd known. The boy was obviously Egyptian, his darkened skin contrasting with the sandy hair falling at his shoulders. His eyes were the same as she remembered, but they held an element not present in childhood. They were colder, sharper, as if he didn't trust the world around him to be reality. When they came to rest on her, she shivered.

"Good work," he told the man behind her, who answered with a nod and stepped fully apart from her, melting back into the crowd of robed figures. His gaze never left her, and she fought with herself not to fidget where she stood rubbing her sore arm.

"Hello, Amari," he spoke gently, contradicting the coldness in his stare. Amari's heart skipped a beat when he greeted her in Arabic rather than Japanese, something she had not expected. It had been a long time since she'd heard her native tongue.

"Malik, what is all this?" she asked him, stepping closer towards him as she forgot herself. He stopped her advance by pointing a gold staff at her, the end of it flanked by small blades. It didn't take long for her to recognize the Eye of Horus at its center. Rune hissed within her soul chamber.

"_The Sennen Rod,"_ she spat. _"How did he get hold of such a powerful Item?"_

"You realize why you are here, don't you?" he asked her, this time in Japanese, his voice echoing in the dark space. Amari retreated her step, taking her eyes off the Sennen Item before her to glare at its owner.

"No, I don't," she bit. "That's why I asked you," She swept her arms out to the expanse of the room to give her words effect. "Malik, what is this? Why are you using these people to harass my cousin and steal Duel cards? What could you possibly gain by doing all of this?"

Malik stayed quiet as she asked her ranting questions, his weighted stare once again setting her on edge. He took another step towards her, becoming close enough for Amari to feel its uncomfortable effect.

"You are a tool that we need," he declared, "and nothing more. Other than that there is nothing else you need to know," His hand came to rest on her shoulder, causing her to jump at the sudden contact. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"It's good to see you haven't changed," he murmured, once again speaking in Arabic. "Not one bit."

Amari could feel it as her body began to shake from anger. Releasing the tension in her fists, she pushed Malik away from her, feeling a small sense of accomplishment as he struggled to regain his balance.

"It's unfortunate to see that you have," she spat harshly in Arabic. "I will not be used by you,"

Malik returned her glare with a fierce one of his own, and once the heat of her anger began to cool down, she felt fear hovering above her head. She didn't even have time to prepare herself before the back of his hand collided viciously with her cheek. The force of it left her ears ringing and threw her off balance, and unlike Malik she was unable to stay on her feet. Her knees hit the hard ground, sending shivers of pain up through her legs. She pressed a hand to her cheek, the tingling sensation giving way to a sharp pain once the shock began to wear off.

Malik bent down next to her, grasping the wrist covering her face tightly so she would look up at him.

"We shall see," he vowed harshly before roughly pushing her away and standing once again. He sharply ordered some of his men to place her in one of the spare rooms below deck. About a second later, more hands reached down to haul her back to her feet. Amari gave Malik one last glare, but the effort was wasted as his back was turned to her.

The men pushed her through the door and down the tiny hallway, leading her down into a lower part of the yacht. They reached a hall with poor lighting, the only remaining light available flickering every few moment and giving off the same effect as a creepy horror film. The hooded guard forced her to stop towards the end of the hall in front of a door with its number missing. One of the men jiggled the lock until it opened, and without even bothering to turn on the light they tossed her inside and slammed the door. There was a soft click as she was securely locked in, followed by quickly fading footsteps.

Amari stood slowly, her arms stretched out in front of her so she could find the light switch. After bumping into a few different objects and stubbing her toe twice, she finally found the damned thing and flicked it on. The room it revealed was remarkably plain, with a small dresser half the size of her and a baby nightstand snuggled up against a cot-like bed with one pillow and a wool blanket. There was no color to speak of, except for the ugly, puke-green hue of the blanket. There wasn't even a window, just a vent to make sure she could get enough fresh air to breathe.

"This sucks," she growled, tears pricking the back of her eyes as she sat bow-legged in the center of the room. "Why did he have to turn out to be such an asshole?"

"_I warned you, didn't I?"_ Rune's spectral form appeared, sitting poised on the cot. _"People change over time,"_

"But he's completely different!" she cried. "The only thing that hasn't changed is his arrogance!" Rune sighed as Amari fell back on the floor to stare up at the white-wash ceiling.

"_That aside," _Rune stated after a moment's collective silence, _"our plan of action should be to escape from here as soon as possible."_ Amari swiveled her head in her direction.

"How do you propose we do that?" she asked. Rune leaned forward on the cot, her expression serious.

"_Next time,"_ she said,_ "I suggest you let me do the talking."

* * *

_

**Author's Note;**

**Short chapter is short, but it's still longer than my original chapter three. **

**I feel like as I update my writing ability in my early chapters, the more it changes. Not any of the big stuff, of course, but the little things like dialogue or mini filler scenes that keep the plot interesting. **

**Either way, I hope you all will stick with me. This fic will be so much better after I'm finished fixing these first few chapters!**

**-M**_**q**_


	4. Talking

**Chapter Four-**_ Talking_

A few hours later—or what Amari had believed to be only a few hours later—the click of the lock caught her attention. She looked over towards the door just as it began to open, and she was surprised to see another familiar face staring back at her.

"Rashid," she said, getting off the bed. He smiled warmly at her, and suddenly she was thrown back into a similar memory from long ago. It was a better time, one where her parents were still alive and Malik had yet to become a total creep.

"Hello, Amari," he greeted in the same manner his brother had, causing Amari to hold back a grimace. He entered the room fully and closed the door behind him. Without thinking, Amari ran to embrace him, causing him to stagger a bit before lightly returning the hug with a pat on the back. "Well then," he chuckled slightly, "that wasn't something I was expecting,"

Amari quickly pulled away and stepped back, her face hot in sudden embarrassment.

"Sorry," she mumbled, fumbling with her words. "I-I just…I felt…" Rashid waved away the rest of her unfinished words, the calm smile back in place. He grew serious soon afterwards, reaching out for the cheek Malik had slapped earlier.

"It still looks swollen," he told her. "Does it hurt?"

Amari touched her face in response, wincing as she grazed the still tender flesh. "Only when I touch it," she said. Rashid nodded at her answer before turning back towards the door.

"I'll go get you some ice to place on it," he said before exiting the room once again. Amari stared at the door in anticipation, hoping he wouldn't lock it like the other guard had. Much to her disappointment, a soft click told her he'd locked her in once again.

Sighing, Amari laid herself back down on the cot, eyes towards the white-washed ceiling. Her cheek throbbed lightly from her bothering it, and it took all of her willpower not to touch it again. She hoped Rashid would come back soon.

Amari had begun to drift off by the time the door was unlocked again. She sat up, expecting to see Rashid holding an icepack, but instead she found herself facing a different Egyptian boy.

Malik's eyes were much less threatening than before as he entered her cell, but that didn't keep a flare of anger from rising to her face.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded harshly. Malik cocked his head to the side, leaning up against the now-closed door behind him. He did not look the least bit concerned with her attitude.

"Well this _is_ my boat," he replied, a smirk turning up the corner of his mouth. His arms were crossed over a pale lavender belly shirt, perfectly contrasting with his tanned skin. The golden Bengals on his wrists shone subtly, the light on the ceiling causing them to flash occasionally and bounce separate light patches on the opposite wall. Amari hadn't had time to notice much about his wardrobe earlier, but now that she could sum him up properly she began to wonder where he'd discovered his fashion sense. No matter how she looked at it—and despite the fact he actually looked _good _in it—it was impossible to say his style could be considered anywhere near normal.

Amari forced herself away from her fashion musings in order to remember that she was mad at the boy now standing across from her. She narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," she snapped. Malik's smirk grew in size until it reached a full-on grin.

"Okay, okay," he sighed in relent, running a hand through his hair. "I just wanted to see how you were doing, that's all," He moved closer, sitting on the edge of the cot. His arrogant smile made her want to punch him, but she didn't move, choosing instead to glower darkly in his direction.

"And why should you care?" she retorted. "I'm just a means to an end, remember?" Malik's smile slowly faded from view, his eyes scanning every inch of her face before stopping below her right eye where his mark was still visible.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked, his voice surprisingly soft. He reached out to touch it, but Amari quickly inched back and swatted him away.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled, but Malik didn't listen as he grabbed her wrist. Amari did her best in trying to yank free from his grasp, but he was much stronger than he looked. Malik noticed the gold band hanging from the wrist he was holding and he brought it closer to himself to examine it. His face grew dark and solemn as he turned the eye of Horus to face him, but when he looked back at her his face was illuminated with pure curiosity.

"You kept this?" he asked, his voice on the edge of awe. He finally loosened his grip enough for her to be able to pull away. Immediately Amari began to rub her wrist, despite the fact that there was no pain.

"Well," she muttered sullenly, "I couldn't just throw it away," She didn't look at him as she said this, and Malik leaned closer to her while she wasn't paying attention.

"Mar," he said, surprising her with the nickname, "I'm sorry that I did that to you… but you have to realize the position I'm in. How could I not retaliate when you showed such obvious defiance?" Amari glared at him from the corner of her eye, letting her hands fall back into her lap.

"You_ kidnapped_ me," she emphasized, "What did you expect me to react like? Jump up and down like one of Yugi's fan girls?" Malik grimaced in response, but Amari went on without a care. "And not only that, I still don't understand why I'm here in the first place. What do you have against my cousin that you have to go out of your way to send some goons out to steal me from him?" She finally looked straight at him, her eyes glossed over in emotions of hurt and anger. "Do you have any idea how much I looked forward to seeing you? When Ishizu contacted me I automatically fantasized on how it would be like old times, but then you had to go and mess it up by doing things this way!" Malik said nothing for a moment or two as Amari caught her breath, his lips pursed in a thin, solemn line. He moved to place a hand on her shoulder but hesitated, deciding instead to just graze her upper arm. The feel of it made her shiver, but this time she didn't pull away.

"Amari, I really am sorry for how this played out, whether you believe me or not," he spoke in a serious tone. "But unfortunately, you're not in a position where you need to know, and I honestly don't plan on telling you," He stood up, ignoring her fierce look and obvious protest waiting behind her lips as he headed back towards the door. "It's like you said, Amari. Even though we have a shared past, right now you're only a means to an end,"

Amari was enraged. Sure he had said it once before—even she had admitted it—but hearing him say it so bluntly made her entire vision go red with fury.

"Like hell," she growled, her entire body quivering slightly with the force of her holding back her rage. When Malik turned his back on her, Amari stood. As he turned the handle she closed in on him. He opened the door wide, and without warning she shot past him, knocking him back into the room and grabbing the door closed behind her. She could hear his shouts from behind the door but she ignored them, focusing only on the freedom that lied shortly ahead of her.

_"There should be a door coming up on the left that leads to the upper deck,"_ Rune told her, and with perfect timing Amari bared left, just as a few men in violet cloaks rounded the opposite corner. She took the small steps two at a time before barreling her way through the door, and she quickly scanned the deck in front of her. She knew she wouldn't have time to grab a lifeboat to take back to shore. Her only choice to escape would have to be diving overboard.

Hurriedly Amari kicked off her sneakers and stripped off her jacket before looking over the edge of the boat. She could hear the buzzing of Malik's goons as they neared the upper deck, their boots practically rattling the wood beneath her bare feet. Just as she located the rope, a few cloaked men pushed the doors open.

_"There's no time to climb down,"_ Rune cried. _"We'll have to jump!"_

"Are you crazy?" Amari cried out loud in reply as she was already hauling her legs over the deck railing to ready for her decent. She turned her body to see how close the enemy was and paled to see the closest goon less than three paces from her and closing in fast. Without giving herself another chance to think on how dangerous this was, Amari turned back around and jumped from the railing, just as large hands went to grab at her shoulders.

Amari wasn't prepared for the shock of the cold water as it completely immersed her, paralyzing her limbs. Though it was early summer, the ocean water was completely freezing. Amari forced her limbs to work again as she propelled herself to the surface, her head breaking the chilly waters just in time for her to hear Malik call her name above her. Looking up, she caught the glimpse of his furious expression, surprising herself when her heart skipped a beat at the ferocity of it.

_"Let's not give them a chance to catch up,"_ Rune said, calling her back to attention.

_Right,_ Amari replied. _Like I'm gonna let them get me now that I've seen what his expression is like._

It didn't take long for Amari to reach the docks, but as she grabbed onto the first step a familiar, foreboding roaring filled her ears.

_"Speedboats,"_ Rune growled_. "Climb faster!"_ She didn't need to tell her twice. Amari scrambled up the slippery, half-submerged ladder, her heart pounding wildly as the roar of the boats engine grew louder in her ears. After what felt like an eternity she reached the top. As soon as her feet hit the top of the dock she began sprinting, trying to ignore the throbbing of her feet as she stepped on one pebble or discarded piece of trash after the other. She had to force herself not to cry out as she heard the sound of boots hitting the concrete soon after her. The crowds were still pretty far away, no where's near close enough for her to call out for help in time before they overpowered her.

Amari screamed as strong arms grabbed her and began dragging her back to the edge of the dock where a boat waited. Amari fought with all she had, kicking, scratching, even head butting, but nothing could shake the guy off of her. When he'd finally had enough of her thrashing he threw her over his shoulder, climbing down the ladder and handing her off to another unfortunate goon. It hardly surprised her to see that her original captor had been Auron.

He glared at her from across the boat before barking the orders to return to the yacht. As the motor revved back to life, Auron leaned in close to her, grabbing her by her wet collar so she couldn't move away from him.

"I warned you, didn't I?" he threatened in a dangerous tone. "Next time something like this happens, I'll ignore the master's orders to bring you back unharmed." Amari's entire body convulsed in a shiver, but from Auron's threat or the chill of the seawater on her clothing she wasn't sure of.

Amari was forced up the latter first, followed closely behind by the goons with Auron in the lead. He grabbed her wrist tightly once she was steadied on the deck, tight enough to make her wince visibly. Malik stood across from them. His expression for the most part was unreadable, but Amari knew better than to trust just what was on the surface.

"Good job," he said to Auron, who graciously dipped his head in a slight bow. He turned to the other cloaked men behind him. "Put her back in her room," he ordered. "Cut off the power." Amari's heart pounded in her throat, a sweat breaking out on the back of her neck as she attempted to swallow it back down. Amari was terrified of pitch darkness, and Malik knew it.

When Malik's eyes found Amari's, she felt her insides grow unnaturally cold. Though he didn't smile, she could tell he felt smug.

"Maybe this will teach you to be more reasonable," he warned. He stepped closer to her, and if Auron was standing directly behind her she would have taken a similar move backward. "You can't escape, Amari," he told her in Arabic, his tone going—once again—surprisingly soft. "You might as well just behave and listen to what I say. It'll make this much easier for both of us."

"Screw you," she replied as Auron began dragging her away, struggling all the way back to her prison-like room.

Though Amari hadn't seen it, Malik hadn't taken his eyes off of her as they took her away, all the while nursing a slightly hurt look that shone behind his eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Yes! Moar revisions! Thank you for sticking by me as I (painfully slowly) rewrite these first few chapters of this fan fiction. For those of you re-reading them, I love you forever and ever. For those of you that are new to this story, welcome! And I offer you an early apology for when chapter transitions don't make that much sense. Since a lot is being changed through out the revision process, a lot of the old chapters won't perfect match up to the redone chapters. Pleease, do me a favor and bear with it for now! I promise it will all be worth it.**

**-M_q_**


	5. Stuck

**Chapter Five- **_Stuck_

Amari sat curled in on herself in the middle of the floor, completely frozen. She had managed to grope around in the dark until she reached the woolen blanket on the cot and secured herself inside it, but since then she hadn't moved. It had been ten minutes.

"Rune," she hissed. "Come out here, please!" She heard the spirit sigh within her mind before her ethereal form appeared behind her, her slender frame poised on the cot. A slight glow radiated off her translucent skin, softly illuminating the immediate area around her. Amari automatically scooted herself closer to her past life's side.

"I hate him," she spat. "Why did things turn out this way? Why is he acting like this?" Amari knew Malik could be spiteful—he'd been like that in the past as well—but even he had never been so cruel as to exploit someone's greatest fear to antagonize them. Not until now.

"_You don't hate him,"_ Rune soothed. _"You're just upset with him, as you should be. But,"_ she crossed her arms, glaring off towards the door. _"I do plan on talking with him next time, even if you're against it,"_ Amari looked up at her, eyes glossed over in the half-light.

"Rune," she spoke softly, "What do you think he wants from Yugi? Why do you think he's kidnapped us?" Rune looked back down at her, her gaze returning to its usual gentle stare.

"_Don't worry,"_ she answered. _"That's something I plan to find out,"_

The door was unlocked once again, startling the pair out of their conversation. They looked over towards the door as the knob turned, and Amari was startled as the lights were suddenly back on.

Malik appeared, his face a carefully constructed mask of nothing. He shut the door behind himself, like he'd done earlier, but he was much less cheery than he had been at their last meeting.

"Must you always be so difficult?" he asked, his mask slipping a bit in anger when she didn't answer him nor look his way. He stepped forward, attempting to calm himself down before speaking again. He decided to cover up his agitation with mockery.

"You know, I made a mistake in thinking you haven't changed at all," he said. "You were a lot less violent back then. The only thing that isn't different is how childish your body is," He crossed his arms with a smirk, waiting for her to rise to the insult. She did.

Rune looked up at the foolish boy, surprisingly finding herself trying not to laugh. The struggle didn't show on her face as she stood, the woolen blanket falling from her shoulders fluidly. By the way his smirk faltered she knew he could tell something was different.

Rune approached him slowly and purposely, much in the same way a lioness seizes up her prey. She could feel the small tug at the corner of her mouth as the boy backed up at her approach.

"Childish?" she spoke in a soft yet authoritive voice, one she'd used many times in the past when the need to intimidate arose. She reached out for Malik, her hand cupping his face in a barely felt touch. She stepped closer to him. "Exactly which part of me is… childish?"

"_Rune,"_ Amari spoke up in a slight wary tone_. "What are you doing?"_

_Gathering information_, _like I said I would._ She replied matter-of-factly. _What does it look like I'm doing?_

"_It looks like you're trying to seduce him,"_ came her flat reply.

_The only way to get information,_ Rune replied before refocusing on the confused and slightly fearful look on Malik's face. She allowed herself a slight smile as she leaned closer, her hand trailing down to the collar of his shirt. "Well?" she asked for emphasis.

Malik was currently fighting an internal struggle within himself. What in the world was_ wrong_ with this girl? He could feel a nervous heat travel up and settle on his face. He'd wanted her to react to him, but he hadn't expected _this _type of reaction.

Not being very experienced with this type of thing, he was entirely at a loss as of what to do. Should he answer her? Should he step away? Her closeness was definitely making him more than a little uncomfortable, but he didn't want to appear weak and step down.

Wait a minute; that was it! She was challenging him. What else would this be? She wanted him to cave. This was a struggle for power.

Rune saw the shift in his expression, and she felt her smirk drop. Damn. He wasn't going to fall for it. For a boy who'd lived underground his entire life, he was doing well in holding his ground against this type of thing.

_I'm not certain if he's just really arrogant or really stupid. _She thought in slight admiration.

"Definitely childish," he replied, stepping even closer to her so her hand was pressing against him rather than just resting there. Her lost smirk transferred itself to his lips, and her eyes narrowed.

"So, did you come in here just to insult me?" she asked, curling her fingers in his shirt, as if to tug him even closer. "Or was there something you actually wanted?"

"Feeling better?" he answered with an eyebrow raised. "I feel certain your time out allowed you to think about a few things,"

"_Like thinking that you are being a complete asshole, then yeah,"_ Amari snapped, and outwardly Rune glowered up at him. She yanked at his collar, jerking him down to her eyelevel and shocking the smirk off his face.

"Listen," she growled. "It doesn't matter how many times you turns those lights out on me. Until you give me the answers I want, I'm going to do everything in my power to make you and your goons miserable. I'm not even going to bother running away next time… I'll just make you beg to get rid of me,"

At first it looked like Malik was going to slap her again, but much to her surprise he merely pried off her hand and moved away with a sigh. Slowly he ran a hand through his light hair.

"Alright," he relented, "obviously fighting isn't going to help either of us." He looked over her once more, calculating. She said she wanted to know his plans, but how long could he put that off for? "I'll tell you what you want." He held up a finger as she moved to speak, cutting her off. "But, it won't be right now…I can promise you that I'll tell you before the arrival of the semi-finals." He searched her emerald eyes for any signs of hesitation. He held out his hand, "Deal?"

Rune mulled over his offer, her arms crossed over her chest and she conversed with Amari inside her head.

_Well, Hikari,_ she stated. _It's your call._

Amari stayed quiet for a few moments, and Rune felt as the feelings of her soul fluctuated with every scenario that went through her lighter half's private mind.

"_Take it,"_ she finally said. _"It's probably with best deal we'll get. We'll just have to try and trick him into telling us sooner that he wants," _Nodding, Rune gripped Malik's hand.

"Fine," she said. "But I want answers soon…not at the last minute before the semi-finals," Malik smiled a full-on smile, but Rune caught the bit of mischief swirling behind his eyes.

"Fine," he echoed. He opened the door and turned halfway around again to face her, "Goodnight."

Rune said nothing in reply as he shut the door firmly behind him and the lock clicked back into place. With ease she allowed Amari back control of her body, who sighed and fell back down onto the itchy, woolen blanket.

"Well?" she prompted.

"_You're right,"_ Rune answered. _"He is an asshole,"_

* * *

**Author's Note;**

** I hate writing chapter endings. I really suck at endings. I've always been bad at conclusions, even in school essays.**

**unrelated author's note is unrelated.**

**another chapter redone. zing!**

**-M_q_  
**


	6. Patience is a Virtue

**Chapter Six-**_ Patience is a Virtue_

The next morning, Malik returned for a third time, and he came bearing gifts. He tossed the duffle bag down at her feet as she sat back up on the bed, curiosity illuminating her emerald eyes.

"I figured you didn't want to be stuck wearing the same outfit for the next few weeks." he stated as she bent down to open the bag. Inside she found four outfits including nightwear, toiletries, her deck, and a surprise gift—her mp3 player. She looked back up at him, eyebrows raised.

"You raided my closet?" she accused incredulously. Malik allowed himself a slight shrug before rubbing the back of his neck and looking away.

"Technically one of my Hunters did," he replied, looking back at her in the corner of his eye and catching the look she gave him. He looked quickly away again as his cheeks grew slightly more flushed.

"Hunters," she repeated flatly, causing him to duck his head. "_Really?_" Malik made a face at her.

"Shut up," he snapped, his face flushing further. "It sounded good… at the time," Amari coughed to mask a giggle, but she couldn't hide the grin on her face.

"Well," she snickered around her hand, "You could have done worse, I guess. At least they aren't called something _really_ stupid, like Goblins, or something…" she trailed off, spying his grimace, and her grin widened. "Please don't tell me your other choice was to call them Goblins-"

"_Ghouls_," he cut in, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut so he didn't have to look at her, "actually." The room filled with the sound of Amari's laughter, and when Malik finally gained the courage to face her again he saw her bent over and clutching her sides, tears streaming down her face. He couldn't help himself; he had to smile somewhat at the sight of her, even if it was at his expense.

"You know," he said once she'd sobered up, "You really haven't changed at all," Amari stared up at him, perplexed. He'd been saying the same thing over and over since he'd kidnapped her, but unlike before where it was used as an insult to her of sorts, this time when he said it, she felt a bit of warmth wash over her and escape into her toes. She smiled at him—a full, genuine smile—and for a small moment felt like everything was just like old times.

"Thank you," she said honestly. She stood up, placing the duffle bag in the spot she had occupied, and began to unpack. Malik leaned up against the wall and watched her silently, wondering to himself as to what to say next. He didn't have to think long before Amari spoke up, not bothering to turn and look at him.

"So now that you've given me all the things I need to survive here, I doubt I'm going to get to leave this room much?" She made the statement into a light question, but Malik could hear the slight edge to her voice. It disappointed him, and he showed the feeling on his face with a slight frown. Whom, or what, he was disappointed in, he wasn't quite certain.

"Actually," he answered slowly, "I was thinking of moving you to a different room, one with a window," For some reason he felt embarrassed when she reacted with a look of surprise, and he averted his gaze to the ceiling. "Well, since you've decided to cooperate I figured there was no point keeping you in a windowless room." He added in defense. "Besides, I can always move you back here if you decide to-" He was cut off as the girl suddenly lunged towards him. At first he thought she was going to try to push past him again and prepared to fight her, but he ended up completely frozen in shock when he found her hugging him instead.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she cried gleefully at hyper-speed, giving him a tight squeeze before letting him go again. She didn't show an ounce of shame for her outburst, but Malik found himself cringing inwardly. Had she been that terrified of the dark that she would be that thankful for another room? Yes, he'd known she hated the dark, but he didn't think it would still be to this extent-

"So, where will my new room be?" she asked, cutting off his thoughts. It took Malik another second to register her question before he shook his head to rid himself of the guilt.

"Across the hall from mine," he answered, "one level above here. It'll be a bit bigger than this one, seeing as how technically this was originally a storage room-"

"Wait, wait," Amari halted him, a strange tone entering her voice that Malik didn't like. "You had decided from the start to throw me in the _storage room?_"

"It was a precaution!" he cried, exasperated. "It's not like I expected you to cooperate with me straight away, so I set this room up to keep you contained until you were ready-" He was cut off again when Amari halted him for a second time, this time with a raised palm.

"Never mind," she grumbled. "Just show me to my damned room before something happens and I get slapped again and I have to chop your hand off," In spite of himself, Malik raised an eyebrow.

"You're quite demanding for a prisoner," he stated, opening the door to the outside where two of his cloaked henchmen waited. Amari walked past him and into their awaiting death-grips with little more than a glance back at him.

"And you're quite abusive for a 'trusted' friend," she shot back, the edge back in her voice. "I don't know what your family taught you, but where I come from we don't shove friends in broom closets to get them to agree with us."

Though she didn't see it, his expression grew very dark, and he suddenly felt tempted to hit her again. He held himself back, however, knowing she didn't know anything about his father's murder. He was just glad she had said that to him in Arabic, so his henchmen didn't understand what she had said or the gravity of it, and he wouldn't_ have_ to hit her again. Instead he uttered a sigh and rubbed at his temples as they made their way to the next floor.

The second room wasn't much different from the first, save for its bigger size and an actual, albeit cramped, bed. Amari let out a heartfelt sigh before running over to the window and making a display of hugging the wall it rested upon.

Malik ordered his men to wait outside before closing the door behind him, setting the bag of Amari's things down on the small end table and joining her when she went to sit on the bed. There was enough room for them both to sit comfortably with their shoulders touching, and Malik found he was more aware to it that he thought he would be. He blamed it on aftershock of her hug.

"So what now?" she asked, her smile light but eyes guarded. Malik was starting to find it annoying that she didn't trust him.

_Well, what do you expect?_ came a voice from the corner of his mind. _You tied her up, slapped her, and threw her into the midst of her phobia. I doubt_ even you _would trust yourself after that. _Outwardly he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face to rid himself of the even more annoying voice.

"I have business to attend to off the yacht," he told her with a level stare. "I need you to stay here and not cause any perpetual trouble for me," Amari crinkled her nose as if this bit of news was a foul stench she couldn't escape.

"So I'm confined to my prison, then?" she asked. "You realize I can't collect locator cards in here. Do you get rid of all your competition this way?" Malik offered her a wry smile.

"I have that taken are of," he said. "And I'll let you roam around the yacht if you promise me one thing,"

"And what would that be?"  
Malik stood up, wagging a finger at her accusingly.

"You stay on it." He answered. She stared up at him with an innocent smile and batted her eyelashes.

"Is that all?" she asked, her voice going up an octave. Malik shot her a skeptical, sideways glance.

"I mean it, Amari."

"Malik, I'm hurt. This time apart has really fogged your perception of me." She offered him a pout, arms crossed over her chest. He rolled his eyes and headed back towards the door.

"Whatever. Just know this is your only chance," he warned her. "Try anything and you're back in the broom closet to stay." When he exited Amari could hear him give orders to the men positioned outside, and she full-out grinned when the sound of a lock clicking didn't fill her ears. She jumped up from the bed in a full run, pulling open the door and looking out into the hallway.

"Malik!" she shouted, and he stopped with a sudden jerk. Slowly he turned back towards her, relaxing slightly when he saw her fighting a smile. "This doesn't make up for kidnapping me, but it's a start." She called out to him in Arabic. Malik smiled back at her, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth showed it was slightly forced. He waved back at her.

"Got it," he answered her in turn before continuing down the corridor to the upper deck. Amari watched him until he disappeared around the corner before turning to head in the opposite direction.

"_Where are we going?"_ Rune asked, materializing next to her counterpart as she walked.

_Well, since now the whole of the ship is open to me,_ she inquired, _why not do a bit of exploring?_ Rune's emerald eyes flashed when she caught glimpses of what Amari was thinking. A mischievous smile curled at the corners of her mouth.

"_This ought to be fun," _she purred. Amari mirrored her past life's devious expression as they moved to a lower part of the deck.

The second he stepped back onto the yacht, Malik knew something was wrong. Or at least out of place. For one thing, there was very little man power on the upper deck, a rare occurrence on any night. As he moved to the inner part of his floating castle, a weird shiver crawled down his back. It was very quiet, another thing that was quite rare, and again there was a very small amount of Hunters roaming about. It was like the apocalypse had hit the yacht and nowhere else. He decided to move with caution to the lower floor.

The second his feet hit the bottom step he was bombarded by a familiar scent. The further in he went, the stronger the smell became. He could just put his finger on it, but for some reason he couldn't quite tell what it was. It smelled… sweet. Now curious as well as nervous, Malik followed the scent all the way to the farthest room from the front of the yacht. He paused. That was his meeting room. It was where his Hunters had brought Amari in when they first kidnapped her. With a hesitant hand, he opened the door.

Whatever Malik had been thinking, it wasn't what he saw. Scattered about the room where assorted plates of what appeared to be homemade cookies of all sorts, stacked on chairs and covering the table and even taking up some spaces on the floor. In the midst of it all sat Amari, who was curled up in what appeared to be a Hunter's cloak and lounging in his favorite seat with a chocolate-chip cookie hanging from the corner of her mouth. She looked up when he entered and offered him a lazy wave before turning to accept another cookie from one of the men he had stationed outside her door.

"Amari, what is all this?" he asked, a tone of warning entering his voice.

"Want a cookie?" she asked in turn, ignoring his obvious unhappiness to find his throne room littered with baked goods. "We made them ourselves."

"We?" he demanded. From behind his chair appeared Rashid, who gave a skittish bow as a greeting. "Rashid!" he screeched upon seeing him. His second-in-command flinched at his harsh tone but stayed respectively in his bow.

"Master Malik," he greeted, his voice wavering nervously, "Please don't be too angry. She asked to do this in order to please you."

"Please me?" Malik demanded just as Amari arched an eyebrow at the older Ishtar in amusement. "How is trashing my meeting room and personal clothing with pastries supposed to _please_ me?" He turned on Amari to show this question had been directed at her. She took a second to nibble on her cookie before answering with a delicate shrug.

"Everyone like cookies." She reasoned. "I wasn't sure what you wanted, though, so we made a few different kinds." Seething, Malik marched across the room and stole the cookie out of her mouth before pulling her to her feet. He started dragging her out of the room. On his way to the door he pointed to various henchmen, ordering them to clean up the messes made and get rid of the cookies. While he was busy Amari managed to snatch a plate from a passing Hunter before he pulled her completely out of the room.

He held onto her arm until they reached the first set of steps, at which he turned on her with angry words on his lips. Before he could say anything, Amari shoved the plate under his nose.

"Eat a cookie." She told him. "We worked hard on them." He ignored the plate of cookies to glare at her.

"How did you even manage this?" he demanded, voice raised. Unperturbed, Amari bit off the end of a sugar cookie.

"I told the Pinky and Brain Brothers I wanted to make cookies," she said between bits of sugary goodness, "and since I can't leave the yacht I had them get some mixes for me." Pinky and Brain Brothers? She must have meant Lumus and Umbra. They were the only brothers in his ranks that he knew of, at least. With an irate scowl he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, okay, but that doesn't explain why half my men are missing,"

"Oh them?" she spoke up before popping the rest of her cookie in her mouth. "I had the men go out in teams around the city to get the different mixes. I tried to make them all go at once, but they were concerned I was going to leave or poison the batches I was already working on. The ones who stayed I had help me in the kitchen." Oh Ra, the kitchen. He didn't even want to know of its state if they had managed to utterly destroy his meeting room _without _having to cook anything in there. His hand moved to his temples as he felt a headache coming on.

"Shanti is going to be pissed," he muttered to himself. He went cross-eyed when a snicker doodle appeared under his nose.

"Who?" Amari asked from around the cinnamon disk. "Eat a cookie, you'll feel better."

"No I won't," he growled but relented in taking the cookie from her. He was surprised by how it fell apart easily and melted in his mouth. It was delicious. "Who made this cookie?" he ventured into asking.

"Auron," she answered, surprising herself when she remembered his name. "He was great at baking, but he was being way too bossy and kept pushing me out of the way. I had to kick him out." She took up another cookie, this one peanut butter. "I don't think he likes me very much." Malik scoffed at the comment, ascending the rest of the steps with her in tow.

"So," he asked after a momentary silence fell between them, "you were trying to… please me? Are you thanking me for kidnapping you now?" Amari shot him a sideways look, eyebrows disappearing into her dark hair.

"You actually believed that?" she asked incredulously. "That's just what I told them to get them to go out on errands for me." This time Malik raised his eyebrows.

"So what did you really do all of this for, then?" he asked, holding his hand out for another cookie. Amari shot him a dazzling grin before handing him a chocolate chunk.

"For fun," she answered. "I figured it'd be amusing to push all these big, bad men around under the threat of denying their master a baking party, which I thoroughly convinced all of them you enjoyed. Rashid was a big help with that." He had to remember to thank Rashid later. "Besides," she added, licking her fingers of crumb residue, "I just really wanted a cookie."

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Okay, this had to be the most rediculous chapter I've ever written. I wanted to stick with my cookie theme for this chapter, but I hated my original set up. I figured... hey, why not get the henchemen more involved? Plus is gave me a funnier excuse to introduce Shanti. Anyway, enjoy the rewrite, no matter how horrifically slow it's been going.**

**-M_q_**


	7. Shanti

**Chapter Seven-**_ Shanti_

When Amari awoke in the morning, Malik had already left. She spent the majority of her morning hunting him down until someone finally decided to tell her he was on the mainland. After a short pout she decided to go hunt down Rashid instead, but when she went to go look in the meeting room she found someone guarding the door.

Auron stared down at Amari with a large frown, the shadow of his hood hiding his disapproving eyes from her. She flashed him a dazzling smile in turn, but as she tried to inch her way around him he held up an arm to stop her.

"Come on!" she whined. "I just want to say hi to Rashid,"

"He's busy," he told her flatly. Amari mirrored his frown. She clasped her hands in front of her in a begging manner.

"Please?" she asked. "Just a quick peak?"

"No," Auron growled. Amari crossed her arms over her chest, mustering a glare at him. He might have thought it was cute if he didn't find her so damn annoying. His frown deepened when she tried muscling her way past him. Really, she was like a fly.

"You know what I think?" she huffed after five seconds of struggling. "I think you're still mad that I wouldn't let you help us last night."

"Really," Auron drawled, groaning softly when she nodded enthusiastically.

"If you can't play nice with others you can't play at all," she chided. Auron rolled his eyes and decided he had enough. With rough hands he took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the opposite way before giving her a not-so-gentle push and sending her staggering down the hall.

"Go bother someone else." He ordered her. "The adults are working right now." She shot him another glare before muttering something unintelligent under her breath and stomping down the corridor. "And stay out of the kitchen!" he called after her with a slight smirk. "Master's orders,"

"Jerk." Amari grumbled as she headed back towards her room. She passed by the kitchens on her way and paused as she contemplated cooking something just to piss Auron off. She decided against it, thinking it'd be bad if Malik ended up pissed off at her instead, and kept walking until something caught the corner of her eye.

There was already someone in there, a girl Amari had never seen before. Her back was to her as she worked, her hair twisted at the top of her head in an elegant bundle of platinum blond waves. Amari watched the bun bob up and down as she rushed around, finding it hard to see the rest of her through the small window in the door. She stood on the tips of her toes in the hopes of a better look, but instead the action sent her stumbling forward. With a yelp she clung to the grooves of the window as the force of her body pushed it open, and she fell to her knees with a hiss of pain.

The girl whirled around instantly, a knife poised menacingly in her hand with an expression to match. In spite of herself, Amari gasped, stunned by the beautiful silver of the girl's eyes. It was like staring at the clouds looming above an ocean, a perfect mixture of gray and blue. Currently they were narrowed at her in annoyance, and Amari answered them with a sheepish grin.

"Um, hello." She greeted timidly, slowly returning to her feet.

"What the hell do you want?" she snapped, knife pointed in her direction. The blade followed her as she got off the floor and dusted off her front. Despite the obvious threat, Amari did her best to give what she hoped was a friendly smile.

"Um, I was just walking by and happened to see you in here." She said in a way of answer, lamely waving an arm out towards the hallway. When the girl did nothing but glare at her, she offered the same hand for a shake. "I'm Amari," she added.

"Shanti," the girl answered coldly. "Now get the hell out of my kitchen." With that she turned back towards the counter and continued chopping away at something Amari couldn't see. Amari paused, remembering Malik mentioning that name the other night. It took a few seconds for it to click.

"Are you the cook?" she asked, only to jump when Shanti jammed the knife point into the grain of the chopping block. She whirled around and advanced on her, forcing Amari to move back until she was pressed against the wall. She jabbed a polished finger under her nose.

"If you ever enter my kitchen again," she growled, "I'll kill you and chop you up for dinner." Amari held her hands up in defense, finding the girl terrifying even without the knife in her hand.

"If this is about the mess last night, then I'm sorry!" She told her quickly. "I was going to get some of the guys to clean it up, but then things happened, and Malik got back earlier, and-"

"Shut_ up,_" she hissed. "This is _my _kitchen, got it? I've worked too hard for too long to be as respected as I am among these disgusting men to have it all come crumbling down due to an ignoramus buffoon of an air-headed girl like _you." _At this she poked into her shoulder hard enough to cause Amari to wince. "Now, get out."

_Rune, don't!_ Amari warned, but the spirit had already wrestled control out of Amari's grasp and had grabbed the other girl by the back of her messy bun. Shanti's head jerked back with enormous force, the momentum of it sprawling her on her back when Rune let go. Rune peered over the other girl, arms crossed, with a look of contempt shining behind her eyes. Shanti stared up at her in disbelief, clutching the back of her head as she lay, stunned, on the ground.

"And who, exactly, are you to demand such things of me?" she asked, calm but with a hint of ferocity brewing beneath her condescending smile. "If I'm not mistaken, you're merely a cook here. You have no power to intimidate me as you have tried and failed to do." With a light sigh she stepped over her, heading back towards the door. "Rest assured I'll be telling your master, when he comes back, that he needs to keep his maidservants better in check. As for your treatment of me today, I suggest you do not try something like this again… else you might not escape with just a mere hair-pull next time," Flashing Shanti a wicked smile, Rune offered a small wave before continuing down the hall.

"_Rune, are you crazy!"_ Amari cried, materializing next to her counterpart. Rune shot her a sideways glance.

_Is this the thanks I get for helping you out_? She asked with a small pout. _I protect you, and you call me crazy? _

"_You grabbed her by her hair and slammed her into the ground!"_

_I'm only looking out for you. _She defended. _That girl had no right to be so rude._

"_Yes, well, your protection is probably going to land me with a dash of arsenic in all my meals now." _

_Don't be silly. _

"_I'm not-"_

"Amari!" Rune turned at the sound of Malik's voice, but by the time they fully faced him, Amari was back in control. She offered him what she hoped was a natural smile.

"What's up?" she asked as he grew closer. "I thought you were off the yacht."

"Just got back." He answered, not sounding too happy as he glowered at something far off in the distance.

"Not a productive day, eh?" she jabbed, not bothering to hide her grin. He grimaced, his glower transferring quickly to her.

"Well, don't sound so broken up about it." He grumbled sarcastically.

"Hey, you kidnapped _me_, remember? I'm allowed to root for the other team if I want." She defended with a shrug. His glower deepened into a full-on glare, and Amari's smile faltered some when she realized she might be hovering over a landmine.

"Anyway," Malik continued on, deciding to let it go, "Dinner is in an hour. Make sure you're there or I'll send someone to get you." With that he moved past her to continue down the hall, not bothering to offer any sort of good-bye.

Amari sighed, opening the door to her room. Being stuck here was tiring. She was starting to feel that anyone she talked to she had to approach with extreme caution, else they might explode on her. Not that she expected to be treated nicely as a hostage, but at the very least she expected civility, especially from Malik. If only Rashid was around more. He had always been nice to her.  
Amari flopped face down onto her cot, deciding to take a quick powernap before having to deal with that girl again.

Malik was quiet as he studied Amari sitting across from him, mulling over something that had been bothering him since he'd returned. When he had run into her in the hallway, she had looked different somehow. He couldn't really explain it to himself. It was something in her eyes, like they were older than her years. It had only lasted a second before she returned to being as childish as before, so he wondered if he had merely imagined it. Then again, this wasn't the first time this had happened. She'd had the same look in her eyes when he had confronted her in the storage room, when she had come onto him…

She met his eyes across the table, and he quickly looked away as the memory of her hand pressing against his chest resurfaced in his mind. Simultaneously his face grew very hot, and he began picking at his plate of food to distract himself. That time she had certainly been different to her usual self, fiercer, controlled. Slowly his gaze shifted to the Sennen Bracelet dangling from her wrist before traveling up to meet her eyes once again. Could she also be sharing a body with a second soul?

"What is it?" she asked nervously, snapping him from his thoughts. For the first time he realized he'd been staring, and rather intensely at that.

"You aren't eating." He pointed out as a cover-up, examining the contents spread out on her plate. He hadn't really been paying close attention before, but it was obvious by how much was left that she honestly hadn't eaten a thing. "Is something not right with your food?"

With a sigh Amari leaned back in her chair, eyes focusing on the ceiling. "Yeah." She moaned. "It's been poisoned, or at least I expect it to be." At this Malik quirked an eyebrow, half amused and half curious.

"I guess that means you've met Shanti." He concluded, also leaning back in his seat. A small whine left her lips as she crushed her palms over her eyes.

"I'm such an idiot!" she cried. "I should have just stayed out of the kitchen." Amusement and curiosity still vying for place as his dominant emotion, Malik allowed a small smile to turn up the corner of his mouth as his eyebrow stayed properly lifted.

"Am I to assume you ignored my orders to keep away from there while I was gone?" he asked, a small warning creeping into his voice as anger also joined the battle. Amari lowered her hands to stare at him with a small grimace.

"Don't be mad, I was only passing through." She defended herself. "I was going to continue walking, but then I saw her in there and… I got curious."

"Curious," he repeated.

"Well, yeah," she mumbled, twiddling her thumbs and not meeting his gaze. "I've been surrounded by nothing but testosterone since I've been stuck here. I figured I could make friends with her…" her grimace deepened as she remembered something. "But that all blew up in my face once I started to fight with her and-"

The door opened with a loud slam, and in came the girl in question, her hair bobbing up and down furiously as she stomped her way towards them, water pitcher in hand. She approached Malik first, respectfully filling his glass before turning her icy glare onto Amari, who shrunk back in her seat as she approached the other end of the table. Whispering something in a menacing growl, she slammed the pitcher down, causing Amari to jump as a giant splash of water soaked her jeans. Without a word of apology, Shanti turned on her heel to head back out into the kitchen, flashing Malik a charming smile on her way out. He let out a low whistle once she was gone, amusement winning as he watched Amari try to dab some of the water out with a napkin.

"It's not funny!" she snapped as he chuckled at her expense. He tried to cover it up with a cough, only to fail completely and offered her an apologetic smile instead. Standing, he grabbed his own napkin to hand to her.

"She looked pissed." He commented. "Do I want to know what you did? Well, besides destroy the kitchen." Amari glared up at him, but it only made his grin widen.

"It's none of your business." She grumbled, furiously wiping at the water stain. "I just hope there are some cookies left over."

"For your sake, I hope so," he chimed in, laughing as he returned to his seat. "I guess this makes your disobedience worth it now, though none of this would have happened if you hadn't decided on a baking party in the first place."

"No one asked you." She growled, resting her forehead on the table in despair. Malik let out another chuckle, only to sober some when he saw how upset she really was. He rolled his eyes with a sigh, leaning back in his chair again as he observed her dejected behavior. Really, did she never think of consequences?

"I'll talk to her," he spoke up. "I can at least convince her not to do anything to your food… but you have to start listening to me, alright?" Amari looked up, eyes wide.

"Really?" she perked up. "You'll talk to her for me?"

"I don't know how much help I'll be, but sure." He shrugged. "Besides, I'd rather have you as a live hostage, no matter how much trouble you are."

"Thanks." She deadpanned, but a grin was already forming on her face. Malik smiled back, but his thoughts from earlier resurfaced in his mind. This Amari was definitely not the same he had encountered in the storage room. Her mannerisms were completely different. Curiosity began to take hold of him. He would have to keep a close eye on her now, to see if this other side of hers would resurface in the future.

"I'm going to change," she announced, getting up from her seat with a sigh. Malik had to stifle another laugh as the water stain appeared in his line of vision. Shanti had done a good job; it looked like she'd peed herself. Amari's face turned a charming shade of pink, which deepened when his chuckles transformed into straight out guffaws.

"Shut up, you jerk!" she cried, grabbing a napkin to tuck into her belt loops and hide the stain. He laughed even harder at her sad attempts to cover it up, looking even more ridiculous than before. With a harrumph she stomped past him towards the door, slamming it on her way out. Slowly his laughter died back down as he wiped tears from his eyes, realizing he hadn't laughed like that in a very long time. His gaze fixed itself on her uneaten tray as his thoughts grew more serious. Really, she was so immature. It was like her mind hadn't grown at all since they were together as children. Though, it wasn't like he could judge her.

_After all,_ he thought with a small quirk of his lips, _I'm the same way._

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Oh Rune. Oh Malik... Oh Amari.**

**-M**_**q**  
_


	8. TDTNSTBBRI

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or Malik's super cool motorbike (though I totally wish I did).**

* * *

Chapter Eight- _The-date-that's-not-supposed-to-be-but-really-is_

"Malik, let's go out,"

"What?" Malik cried and began accidentally chocking on his bowl of cereal. Amari, who was sitting beside him, patted his back gently until his coughing subsided.

"I want to go out today, and I want you to take me," she clarified, "You know, go to check out the tournament, go shopping, go eat some junk food," she counted off the things on her fingers.

"We have junk food here. Besides, I told you you're not allowed to be seen during the tournament," Malik answered.

"Okay fine, we don't have to go see what's happening during the tournament, but I have to get off this _boat_. I haven't been in the fresh air since the beginning of ever! I'll die if I stay in here much longer,"

"Over-dramatic much?" Malik asked while lifting an eyebrow. Amari rolled her eyes.

"Not really, since I have a psychotic albino chick who just so happens to make my meals for me ready to chop my head off with a meat cleaver,"

"Oh right, that,"

"Please Malik? Just this once? I'll owe you for a lifetime," she begged. "And I promise I won't give you a hard time. I just need to go do something constructive. Sitting around in a bedroom shuffling cards- no matter how fun that can be- just doesn't cut it," She looked up at him from under her eyelashes, trying as best as she could to look cute and helpless.

"Please?" She could tell he was cracking and kept at it. "Please?" she asked again and leaned in closer this time. He finally gave him.

"Okay, fine! We can go out," he cried, flustered. Amari grinned and pulled away, dropping the act.

"Thank you, Malik,"

"Yeah, yeah," Happy as can be, Amari skipped all the way back to her room to go and change into some better clothes.

* * *

Malik slumped back down into his chair and sighed. He glanced over at his half-eaten cereal bowl and realized he was no longer hungry. What the heck was that thing Amari had just pulled? Some sort of girlish art of deception? Well, whatever it was, it had just made him agree to the dumbest thing on the planet. What the hell was he thinking? All he could _think _about was her eyes- so green and bright, like emeralds- and how they had stared up at him through those thick, long lashes…

Oh Ra, he couldn't.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No way! Nuh-uh , not a chance. Shaking his head, Malik dumped the rest of his cereal into the trash and put his bowl in the sink. Today was going to be a bad day, he just knew it.

* * *

"Okay, shirt, shirt, shirt, aha!" Amari pulled out a long yellow shirt that was bunched up at the sides and held it in front of her in the mirror. She twisted her body this way and that, trying to get a better angle.

"What do you think, Rune? Too bright?" she asked, turning to her transparent look-alike. Rune groaned and folded her arms as she floated on the invisible buffer that separated her from the bed.

"_Ra, Hikari, you're acting like a love-struck teenager going on her first date," _she complained. Amari turned back to the mirror without replying. Rune scrutinized her for a minute before gasping and covering her mouth.

"_You _are_ going on a date, aren't you?" _she cried, half-outraged, half-amused. Flustered, Amari picked at a loose string on the yellow shirt and muttered,

"Don't be ridiculous, Rune. I'm just excited to be going outside, that's all," Rune rolled her eyes.

"_Right, like total strangers are going to care if your shirt is too yellow or not," _

"I wouldn't want to blind them. It's called common courtesy; you should try it sometime,"

"_I'll put it on my to-do list," _Rune deadpanned. Amari groaned, exasperated, and slipped a light orange v-neck over her head. She modeled it in front of the mirror before feeling satisfied with her choice.

"_Have fun on your _date_," _Rune cooed in a singsong voice before safely retreating into her soul chamber.

_Stupid, annoying, no-good Spirit._ Amari thought scathingly, causing Rune to chuckle.

* * *

"We're going to be riding _that_?" Amari asked as she pointed to the shiny, black motorcycle that had been hidden under a sheet two seconds ago. Malik took the first helmet and fastened it to his head.

"Of course we are. You didn't think we were taking a _car_ did you?" he scoffed. Amari sighed to herself.

_Oh no, of course not! A car would just be too _boring.

"_He brought out the _bike_?" _Rune guffawed. _"Isis above, you really _are_ going on a date!"_

Malik noticed Amari's face go extremely pale and misinterpreted her sudden anger at Rune for fear.

"Well, if you're that scared, we _can _take the car," he offered, raising an eyebrow. Amari snapped out of their argument just in time to catch the end of his sentence. Now her face flushed a bright red, which Malik- once again- misinterpreted. So when she replied with an irritated, "I'm not scared," he grinned.

"Okay then," he tossed a smaller, white helmet to her and straddled the bike. He patted the space that was left of the seat behind him. "Hop on," He watched- amused- as she fumbled to put on the helmet. Awkwardly she climbed onto the seat and wrapped her arms around him.

"_You know why he's having you ride the bike right?" _Rune imputed. _"Its because he wanted you to wrap your arms around him. Face it, this is a date," _

_Shut it. _Amari growled back through their mind-link.

"Are you ready?" Malik asked her as the bike roared to life. For the second time that day his voice had snapped her out of her angry thoughts.

"As ready as I'll every be," she replied irritably. Malik grinned. Even though he couldn't see her expression, he knew she was nervous.

"Okay then, hold on tight," he warned before speeding out of the garage and onto the busy streets.

* * *

"Wow, they really go all-out for these things, don't they?" Amari asked as she glanced in the window of a near-by shop. Inside was all kinds of gaming merchandise: cards, toy duel disks for the kids, balloons shaped like duel monsters, the list was endless.

"That usually happens in tournaments of this magnitude," Malik replied coming to stand next to her at the window. "See anything you want?"

"Malik, just because I am a part of the female gender, that doesn't mean I want to buy something from every store I happened to glance at,"

"I didn't say that, I just asked you if you wanted anything from here," He replied in a irritated tone.

"Then no, not particularly," she replied coolly.

_What the heck? _Malik wondered as Amari wandered over to the next store window, which displayed some ridiculous-looking outfits. All he did was ask a simple question, what'd she attack him like that for?

"Ooo! Malik, let's go in this one!" Amari cried as she dashed into the funny clothes store. And we're back to the happy routine. Malik sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before following her inside. He seriously hoped she wasn't PMSing, because he really didn't think he would be able to handle it.

* * *

_Okay, whatever she puts on don't laugh. _Malik thought to himself as he waited for Amari to try on one of the stupid-looking outfits that she saw in the display window. Why she'd wanted to try on _that _evaded him. He had thought, certainly, she'd had better fashion sense.

"So how does it look?" Amari asked as she appeared from behind the curtain of her dressing room, posing in a movie star manner. Malik couldn't help himself, he laughed. He laughed so hard he had tears streaming down his face.

Amari's outfit consisted of a giant purple parka- that was _extremely _too big for her- red rubber boots with bright green poka-dots splotched on them, a ginormous green bow on her head, and to top it all off: bug glasses. She looked like a clown impersonating a beetle.

"What? _What_?" she demanded, striding past the still-cracking-up Malik to look in the lengthened mirror. When she saw herself she also began cracking up. She bent over to grab her sides and took off the bug glasses.

"That. Was better. Than I thought. It would be!" she sputtered out between fits of laughter. A small woman wearing the store's logo on her vest was the only one not laughing. As if to remedy the situation she piped up,

"I think you look positively smashing," Both Malik and Amari turned to give her a look that said 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me,' and Amari hiccupped. Still giggling- and hiccupping- Amari went back into the dressing room to change back into her own clothes. Now Malik understood why she wanted to go in here. Shaking his head while still chuckling a bit, he stood just as Amari was coming out of the dressing booth.

"Would you like to try on something else?" the small woman asked desperately when she saw them making their escape.

"No, no, we've done what we've needed to do here," Amari told her as politely as she could without breaking into a fit of giggles again.

"C-come again!" the lady stammered after them just as Malik shut the door to the shop.

* * *

"Hey, Malik, look at this," Amari motioned over to a poster that was taped to a nearby lamppost. In bright, bold, red lettering were the words: **HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL?** Underneath was a black and white picture of Amari with a guitar splayed across her lap, smiling a toothy grin up at the camera.

"You play guitar?" Malik asked her skeptically. Amari hit him on the arm, aggravated.

"Would you be serious?" she hissed.

"I am being serious," he cried, trying to defend himself. Huffing, Amari turned and snatched the missing poster off the lamppost. Folding it up she shoved it into her pocket, her face sullen.

"Gramps and Yugi must be extremely worried," she murmured, her eyebrows furrowing.

Damn it. Damn him and his accursed forgetfulness to the deepest pits of Hades! He'd forgotten all about the missing person's posters plastered all over the city with her face on them- it was another reason why he'd wanted to keep her out of sight for so long. Damn it! Extremely furious with himself, Malik rubbed a hand over his face and thought. Okay, how to distract Amari from this new, fateful turn of events. What about ice cream? Girls liked ice cream, didn't they? Deciding it was the best he could do for now, he grabbed her by the hand and began pulling her along at a quickened pace.

"Where're we going?" she demanded, her tone surprised at his sudden reaction.

"You'll see," was all he replied. He noted her scowl in his peripheral vision, glad to know she was still acting herself, at least. Maybe letting her dwell on their destination would keep her mind off of the poster now tucked away in her pocket. He would have to get that thing away from her as soon as possible.

* * *

"You dragged me half across town just to buy me ice cream?"

"I paid for it, didn't I?" Malik grumbled as he scooped another mouthful of chocolate chip mint into his mouth. Amari looked at him for a long moment before muttering, "Yeah, you did,"

"_Aw, he paid for your ice cream. How cute,"_ Rune cooed. Amari grimaced at the sound of the sprit's voice. Rune had been kind enough to leave her comments where she felt they were needed all throughout the day.

_Rune, I swear, you open that big, transparent mouth of yours again, and the next number you see me dial into my cell phone will be the number of an exorcist! _Amari snapped and she ate her melting ice cream. Rune merely chucked, not worried by her other half's threat in the least.

"-it's melting,"

"Huh? What?" came Amari's brilliant reply as he snapped back into reality. Painfully aware she hadn't heard a word he'd said, Malik merely sighed and repeated himself.

"You're ice cream, it's melting," Flustered, Amari looked down to see her plastic bowl now filled to the brim with chocolate ice cream soup.

"Oh," she mumbled and went to drink it up. A few drops escaped from the corners of her mouth, and she rushed to retrieve them with the back of her hand before they had a chance to drip onto her blouse.

"Are you ready to start heading back?" Malik asked as she finished up. Amari looked up at the sky to see that the sun was already starting to set. Had they really been out all day?

"I guess," she replied glumly. She didn't want to go back, but knew that it was inevitable. Sure, she could try to run for it and hope she could get lost in the crowd, but that hardly seemed justified. He'd bought her ice cream.

Malik saw the expression play across Amari's face and wondered if she was thinking about the missing persons poster again. Clearing his throat to capture her attention, he stood and said,

"Alright then, let's go," Amari also stood, and they made their way back over to where Malik had left the bike.

But as they got closer, Malik felt his stomach plummet. Oh, Ra, couldn't anything- just _one_ thing- go right for him? Amari gasped beside him as her hands flew to her mouth.

The lot was empty. Malik's bike was gone.

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**Author's Note:**

**Hey-o everyone! I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed writing this chapter; I've actually been anticipating writing this chapter since I've started writing this story. I still believe there's lost of room for improvement, but that's what the edit button's for! ;) Enjoy my dears!**

**Your Faithful Servant,  
Midsummer'sQueen**


	9. Miscalculation

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh, don't own Malik- or his badasslicious bike- but even so, I would like you not to take anything from me without my consent first… savvy?**

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**Chapter Nine**- _Miscalculation_

"...Rashid, I need a car… Are you questioning me? Just do it!…_What? _That's not good enough!…Okay fine," Malik shut his cell phone and kicked a rock at his feet. Three hours. A car wouldn't arrive for them for three. Freaking. Hours. Stupid tournament. Today was a bad day, he'd known it, too, but what does he do? He goes out anyway. Ignorant fool. He deserved to get his bike stolen.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't _that _much of an ignorant fool.

As Malik went on kicking poor defenseless rocks that got in his path, Amari sat on one of their larger relatives and conversed with her spirit. Well, she was trying to, but Rune was too busy laughing at their expense.

_Oh, come on, Rune. It's not _that _funny,_

"_On the contrary, my dear Hikari. It is, indeed, very funny," _Rune snickered. Fed up with her Yami's attitude, Amari rolled her eyes and attempted to block her out with moderate success.

Around the same time, Malik made his way back over to her. He looked worn out, poor guy. Hopping off the rock she closed the distance between them.

"What's the news?" she asked.

"A car will be coming to get us in three hours,"

"That long?" Amari asked, feeling her heart lighten in spite of their circumstance. Three extra hours to spend outside of the stuffy yacht, she couldn't have asked for a better gift!

"That's what _I_ said," Malik replied glumly while passing a hand over his haggard face. "Still, I think we can use this time wisely enough," Slowly, but surely, a grin spread across his face as he began to brainstorm.

"I'm not following you," Amari replied, confused by his sudden change in attitude. Malik looked at her, his eyes gleaming in devious thoughts.

"It is very simple, my dear. Very simple indeed." In two strides he was upon her and took Amari by her shoulders. In a excited voice he said,

"While we wait for our ride to arrive we can go hunt down those bike thieves and give them what they rightfully deserve," With that he patted her on the shoulder and began making his way across the empty lot, leaving Amari to watch him with a dumbfounded expression. It took her a moment to grasp what had just happened, before crying for Malik to wait up and running after him.

"What if we don't happen to make it back to the ice cream lot in three hours?" Amari asked as they walked down the streets of Domino. Malik shrugged.

"We'll just have them pick us up wherever we end up, that's all," he replied, not worried in the slightest over their so-called time limit. He was Malik, he had no time limit.

Amari wasn't too sure about this plan of his. For all they knew, the guy- or guys- who stole Malik's bike were a bunch of burly thugs with huge muscles. Or a gun. The longer they walked, the more Amari thought of how stupid this plan was. Suppose they caught up with the bike thieves and were killed? Or worse? If anything happened that would question her virtue at a later date because of this, she was going to kill Malik.

"So how do you plan on catching these guys anyway?" she couldn't help asking.

"Ah," Malik hesitated. Actually, he hadn't really thought that part out. It's not that he thought they would just walk aimlessly around the city until they saw some guys with a bike that looked suspiciously like _his_ bike. He was just so angry at the whole concept of his bike being taken only thirty feet away from his person without his notice. He hadn't had much time to think about the minor details.

"Let me guess, you didn't think that part out yet, did you?"

"Wow, you're good at that. Are you psychic?"

"_Malik,_"

"What?"

Aggravated at his ability to run off blindly into a situation like this, Amari pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. He was such a typical guy.

"Okay, look, let's just go to the police station and report the missing bike. I'm sure they'll be able to handle it," she stated. Malik narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"No cops," he growled huskily.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because if we report my bike being stolen then I'll be on record, and eventually someone will trace me, which it bad, Amari, very bad,"

"Okay, fine! No cops!" she cried, exasperated. "So then what're we going to do?" Malik thought for a moment.

"Let's think. If I found a bike and randomly wanted to steal it, I would most likely try to sell it. And spare bike parts are worth much more than a whole bike in the long run… where's the closest body shop?"

"About five blocks from here," Amari replied instantly. How did she know where the closest body shop was? Even she wasn't too sure about that, but right now she was just happy to have the information on hand. Malik nodded.

"Okay, let's get going then."

But by the time they had reached the third block, both of them were out of breath and red in the face.

"I don't… think I can go much farther," Amari huffed as she sat down at a table.

"We're almost there though," Malik encouraged as he gripped the side of the table, not looking much better than she was. "Come on, we're so close. It's just a little farther, and I want to get there before my bike gets completely mutilated, if I can help it," a new edge came into his voice at the thought of those creeps ripping apart his precious baby. If anything happened to damage his bike- even one little scratch- he was going to kill each and every one of them. No one dares to take Malik's bike and gets away with it.

"Okay," Amari breathed as she went to get up. "But can we ride there, instead? I should have enough fare for a taxi," Malik agreed and went to flag one down. He succeeded, and soon they were on their way to the body shop.

When the cab dropped them off it was dusk, the sun had nearly disappeared under the horizon. But as they walked up, all the lights were on, and activity could he heard emitting from the inside.

"Let's go around the back," Malik suggested, making Amari start to feel uneasy. Her conscious was back, and it was screaming for her to get the hell out of there. But she stayed by Malik's side dutifully, seeing as how she didn't have any more money for cab fare.

As they went around the back, they noticed one of the garage doors opened halfway. If they leaned down far enough it was easy to see inside. Malik breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed his bike near the back, sitting upright on its kickstand and absolutely unharmed. Even the helmets were still there. Slowly he began to inch his way towards the door.

"What're you doing?" Amari hissed.

"Come on," he whispered back over his shoulder and he continued moving forward. Amari shifted from foot to foot as she weighed the pros and cons of following him. And though the cons outweighed the pros by a landslide, she found herself scurrying in after him.

As they got closer they could hear the sounds of conversation. It sounded like two men talking in loud voices over the stereo that was playing near where they hid.

"-keep it. It's a nice bike. In good condition, too,"

"An' I say we sell it piece by piece! We get more money that way. We have enough bikes as it is," the other voice argued.

"Then sell one of _them_ for parts! I'm keeping' this bike,"

"_Like hell you are_," Malik growled, his hands clenching into tight fists. Amari put her hand over one of them to steady him.

"I'm telling you, sell it for parts!" the other man hollered, tapping the other buy in the chest.

"And I'm telling you-" the other guy bellowed, pushing the other man backwards "-I'm keeping' this here bike!" Letting out a roar of anger, the guy lunged for the other, knocking him to the ground. There they fought, throwing punches here and there while they rolled along the dirty ground.

"Come on," Malik whispered, talking Amari's hand and sneaking past them towards his bike.

"Malik," Amari whined in a small voice. She didn't like this plan very much.

"Shh!" Malik ordered.

"But they'll see us!"

"Only if you don't keep quiet," Malik snapped quietly. Amari glared at him but clamped her mouth shut. There would always be time to hit him for that comment after they go out of here. _If_ they got out of here.

But a sudden roll in their direction caused one of the men to see them.

"Hey, you! What're you doin' in here?" he hollered and scrambled to get up off the ground. Malik cursed softly to himself and glanced at his bike. He was so _close, _but not close enough to reach it in time and ride it out of here. Seeing no other option, he went to stand in front of the frozen Amari. He couldn't afford anything to happen to her now, not when the finals were so close.

The bigger of the two men was up first. His jeans were covered in grease and his pit stains were enormous.

"I said, what're you doin in my body shop?" he demanded. Amari wrinkled her nose in disgust. His breath was rancid.

"I'm here to get my bike back," Malik stated in a strong voice. "You stole it from me," The man smiled a sinister grin.

"Well now, is that so?" he turned to his partner who was grinning like a buffoon. "You hear that, Joe? The kid says we took his bike,"

"Not us," Joe protested, still grinning. "We don't steal. That's our bike there, Hank," he gestured to Malik's bike. Hank grinned at them again.

"See? Your bike ain't here, boy. You might as well run on home," Malik took a deep breath through his mouth. The place reeked.

"Obviously, you need to get your eyes checked, _Hank_, because my bike is right there," he replied snidely and glanced over at his bike. He took a small step towards it, bringing Amari with him. The idiot brothers hadn't noticed. Maybe he could get him and Amari close enough to it to catch them off guard and get out of here.

Hank frowned at Malik's words.

"You don't know what your saying, boy," he insisted in a hard tone. He picked up a wrench that was in a tool box near him. "I said, Your. Bike. Ain't. Here," he enunciated each word with his advance. Malik pushed him and Amari even farther back, slowly getting closer to his bike.

"Malik," Amari murmured in warning. His eyes snapped to her then back to Hank. He had a new expression on his face.

"Oho! Lookie here, Joe. The kid's got himself a girlfriend," Hank crowed. The stupid grin came back on Joe's face as he came closer for a better look.

"She's a cutie, wouldn't you say, Hank?" Joe asked. A greedy look came into his eye that caused Malik to grab her hand instinctively. Amari shrank back, wanting to get as far away from them as possible.

"You won't touch her," Malik growled almost possessively. Hank raised an eyebrow.

"Won't we? That's all up to you, boy," a sly grin dominated his features as he advanced on them again. They took a few more steps back.

Damn. He hadn't wanted to use this if he could avoid it. Ra only knows what bad would come of it later. Still, it was pretty much the only option he had left at this point. Not wasting another second, Malik reached inside his jacket.

At first, when Malik took the object out from under his jacket, Amari thought it was a gun. But as she got a better look, she noticed gold.

"Oh brilliant, Malik," she hissed. "You're going to save us with a golden _stick?_ Are you planning to bribe them with it, or throw it at them?"

"Neither," Malik replied in a hard tone. He turned it enough so that the eye of Horus was visible to her. Rune hissed inside her soul chamber.

"_That's the Sennen Rod! Amari, you must stop him!_"

_From doing what?_ she demanded, not sensing the danger.

Hank looked just as bewildered as Amari had when he noticed the Sennen Rod. But soon bewilderment gave way to stronger emotions, and the grin was back. Again he advanced.

There was a flash of light, and an eye appeared on each of the men's foreheads. Both let out an ear-splitting shriek of agony before going silent and falling to the ground in crumpled heaps. The light faded from the Sennen Rod, and Malik sighed. He looked round to see Amari's expression. She looked stunned, her eyes focused on the two men on the floor.

"We should get out of here," Malik told her and walked past her to his bike. Amari didn't move. Malik looked back to her.

"Mar?" he called to her in a wary tone.

"Are… Are they… dead?" she asked, her voice a monotone.

"Not technically," he replied, walking back over to her. As slowly as possible, he took her by the wrist and led her to the bike. She never took her eyes off of the two bodies.

Malik watched nervously as Amari mechanically put on the white helmet. He noticed that she relaxed a bit when she saw that the men were still breathing. Malik wished he knew what she was thinking. Wondering how he'd done it, probably.

_She probably thinks I'm a witch, _Malik thought grimly as he mounted the bike. _That or a demon._

"You ready?" he asked when she got on after him. She nodded, but said nothing. This didn't make Malik feel any more secure.

"Right," he muttered and revved the engine. And then they were off, back to the closest thing each of them could call home, the yacht.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
Hey everyone! I know, I know. I'm a bad person leaving with such a clifhanger for so long. I appologise. But life's pretty busy at the moment, what with school starting and all. Sorry again. That's all.**

**Your Faithful Servant,  
Midsummer'sQueen**


	10. Fear

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. Amari and Rune are ideas spouted from my brain. No stealing. D:**

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**Chapter Ten-** _Fear_

It's been three days since the incident with the bike, and Amari has refused to come out of her room. Whenever food is given to her, it is scarcely touched. Malik had expected as much, but that didn't make him feel much better about it.

Oh sure, he's tried to talk to her about it, but every time he goes to see her, she shrinks away from him as if he were a poisonous reptile. She was definitely afraid of him.

But was this necessarily a bad thing? Hadn't he- from the very beginning- wanted her to do as he said? To be a good captive and stay put?

_Well, _he thought bitterly as he leaned his head against the wall. _Congratulations, Malik. You got your wish. _She couldn't step foot from her room now, let alone come up with an escape plan!

"Oh, who cares," he muttered under his breath. Pushing himself off of the wall he opened his door. Not to much surprise, Rashid was waiting outside, a surprised look on his face.

"Ah, Master Malik!" he cried and was confused as Malik pushed his way past him. "Are you going out again?" he called after him.

"Yes!" Malik snapped and slammed the door to the deck shut behind him.

Rashid flinched at the sound of the door being slammed so violently. Sighing he rubbed the back of his neck and looked across the hall to Amari's closed door. Malik wasn't the only one worried for her well-being.

It was dark in her room, the only light source came from Rune's glowing form as she bent over her Hikari protectively.

"_Oh, Hikari," _she breathed and watched as she shrank away from her ghostly touch.

A sudden click of the door lock, and light flooded in from the hallway. Amari let out a small shriek and threw her blanket over her head, scrambling to get as far away from whomever it was as soon as possible. A light switch flicked on, showing the furious expression of Shanti- the boat's lead cook.

Quickly she strode over to Amari and ripped the blanket from over her shrunken frame. Amari curled into a protective ball, her hands covering her head.

"Get up," Shanti snapped and prodded her with her foot. In reply a small whimper left Amari's lips.

"I can't," Shanti's pale face flashed red with anger.

"What do you mean you _can't_?" she seethed through clenched teeth. Bending down, she wrenched Amari's arms off of her head and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders. She shook her hard enough to make Amari hit her head on the back wall when she refused to look at her.

"_What do you mean you can't_?" she repeated. "Are you trying to tell me that it's physically impossible for you to _get off the floor_? To act like a normal human being and _eat _like you're _supposed_ to? _What_ are you telling me you _can't do_?"

"I _can't_!" Amari wailed and pushed her way out of Shanti's tightening grip. "I can't! I can't face him! Not after witnessing… _that_," she blanched as the images of the two lifeless bodies swirled around in her mind, blending together with memories of gold and terror to create some sort of nightmarish smoothie. The horrors spilled over her eyelids in the form of tears.

Disgusted, Shanti pushed Amari into the wall roughly and stood up.

"Tough shit. You haven't seen anything yet," she snapped and spat near her feet. Amari gathered her blanket around herself and refused to look up to meet Shanti's furious expression. Shanti continued. "And incase you forgot, if he hadn't done what he did, you wouldn't even _be_ here. You should be thanking him instead of avoiding him. Only cowards slink around in the dark," Shanti turned and slammed the door on her way out.

Amari sat in silence for a long moment, digesting Shanti's harsh words.

"_You should be thanking him instead of avoiding him…"_

She was right, of course, but how could she face him again, even knowing she owed him so much?

"_Only cowards slink around in the dark,"_

"I can't," she repeated to herself weakly. Hot tears traced wet marks on her cheeks. She has been crying a lot lately. She's a coward.

"I can't. I'm sorry," Tighter she curls herself in her protective cocoon, shielding herself against the replaying images and angry words. Safe in her make-shift shell, she falls asleep.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**...All I can say is this: this has got to one of the shortest chapters I've written for this story so far... For some reason, I feel very unaccomplished.  
So here marks the step from humor into the more somber chapters of this story. Look forwad to it! Alas, I shall miss making myself laugh. Instead, I shall be making myself cry... or yell. Or want to throw my computer against the nearest wall. It depends on what chapter I'm working on. hint  
Until next time!**

**Your Faithful Servant,  
Midsummer'sQueen**

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	11. Accusations over Omelets

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah-don't-own-Yugioh-blah blah-something-or-other-about-muffins-blah, etc**

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**Chapter Eleven**- _Accusations over Omlets_

When Malik returned later that night, he was surprised to find Amari sitting up at the kitchen counter- wrapped in a giant blanket and eating an omelet. At first he wasn't sure whether to approach the fragile girl or not, until she acknowledged his presence by offering him a single "Hey,"

"Um, hey," he replied softly and only then took an uncertain step towards her. He noticed that- sitting there on the stove for the taking- was enough omelet left over for another person, so he made his way past her to get it. A moment later and he found himself sitting on the opposite side of her. There they sat in silence- non-existent feeling on Amari's part and total nervousness on Malik's- munching on their omelets until Malik finally set his fork down and cleared his throat.

"Listen, I-" he stopped speaking when her gaze met his. Her emerald eyes- usually so full of life- seemed hallow and unfeeling, save the tear streaks running along the sides of her nose. Her skin was stretched tight around her cheekbones, a result of her refusal to eat. She seemed to shrink under that big quilt she hung around her shoulders, wasting away more by the minute. Malik flinched at the damage he had done.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice cracking. Malik was confused.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked. Wasn't _he_ the one who should be apologizing to _her_? Amari stared down at her bony hands, which were shaking. She didn't look up to meet his gaze again. She licked her cracked, dry lips to wet them.

"I've been avoiding you. I'm sorry," she replied hoarsely. Malik was utterly perplexed.

"Well, it's not like I blame you, or anything," Malik stammered.

"But you see, I blamed _you_," Amari argued. "I blamed you for putting us in such a situation that you felt the need to-" she cut off, shivering, and wrapped the quilt tighter around herself. She poked at the remainder of her omelet as she grappled for the right words. "You killed them, Malik. You did what you had to in order to save us. I realize that now," Though her words were not judgmental, Malik still grimaced. They sat in silence once again; Malik could tell she fighting back another wave of fresh tears.

_Okay, that's it, _he decided, getting to his feet and circled the table to take her by the wrist. Looking from his hand to his face, her expression was confused.

"I need to show you something," he answered her unspoken question. He coaxed her to her feet. "Come on,"

"Your room?" she asked with a raised eyebrow as Malik opened the door and let her in. He rolled his eyes.

"No, not my room," he told her closing the door behind himself. "Would you take off the stupid quilt?" he asked, exasperated that she'd brought it with her. Really, she was acting like a toddler.

And just like a toddler, Amari merely hugged the large blanket tighter around herself, letting out a small whine of protest.

"Just show me what you want to show me," she mumbled. Malik sighed.

"Okay, just… try not to freak out," he warned before turning around.

And then Malik began to lift up his shirt.

"Whoa! Whoa! What are you doing!?" she cried, running to pull his shirt back down.

"Would you chill? Get off me!" Malik snapped.

"I know you want to make it up to me, but don't try it this way!" Amari snapped back, still tugging on his shirt.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Malik asked, forgetting to struggle in his confusion. Realization dawn on him, and he stared back at her with awestruck horror. Immediately he put his hands up. "No! …No! I-I would never… what would make you think something like _that_?" he demanded. Amari blinked.

"So, you weren't…?" she trailed off, eying him.

"No!" Malik cried, aghast, and yanked the hem of his shirt away from her grasp.

"Oh,"

Embarrassed, a red flush began creeping along the sides of Amari's cheeks as she wrung her hands together. "Well, continue," Malik huffed and began to, once again, remove his shirt. Turning his back to her, Amari gasped.

"Oh, Malik," she breathed, a hand flying to her mouth in shock. "What _happened_ to you?"

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Did they just make up? It was very unclear.  
Wow, this was my shortest chapter yet. It hardly seems fair for all the waiting I've put you guys through. Sorry about that.  
But don't worry, I'll _try_ making it up to you... somehow. Hm, maybe I could squeeze in another chapter or two durring vacation? Sounds good to me.  
Happy Holidays, everyone. (:**

**Your Faithful Servant,  
MQ**


	12. Excapeplanations

**Disclaimer; Obviously, I don't own Yugioh, but I hope you'll enjoy this anyway.**

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**Chapter Twelve**- _Ex(cape plan)ations_

Malik sighed, already moving to put his shirt back on. When he turned around to see her expression, he cringed. She looked even more horrified than she had when she'd witnessed him mind wipe the scum back at the bike shop. He placed a hand over his face in a wary fashion to cover his own grimacing expression.

"My father is what happened," he told her at last. He heard her gasp softly to herself, but he pretended not to hear it. He removed the hand from his face, using it to push back the bangs from his face instead. He wandered over towards the bed and sat, patting the place next to him as an invite for Amari to sit. When she didn't move he let out another, irate sigh. "It's a long story, Mar. You're going to want to sit down to hear it all," he told her. By the tone in his voice it was obvious that his patience with her was starting to wear thin.

Amari continued to stare at him, saying nothing for a long while. Just when he was about to snap at her to sit down or he'd drag her to the bed himself, she shuffled over and sat at the edge of the bed. By the blanched look on her face, Malik was almost certain she'd read his thoughts, but then she said,

"He did… _that _to you? Why? When?" She turned fully to look him in the eyes, her expression horrified. Malik said nothing for a moment, just studying the disgusted look on her face.

"Do you remember the day we first met?" he asked. "When Ishizu took me above ground for the first time in my entire life?" Amari nodded slowly.

"We were both very young," she murmured, her expression still caught halfway in a grimace. Malik nodded.

"Those times when we went around the bazaars and ruins together, when I met your parents- all of those times- my father didn't know of any of them. The bracelet I gave you-" and at this he lifted her wrist where the Sennen Bracelet hung "-this is what eventually tipped him off to our little outings. Being so young I didn't realize its true importance and didn't think anyone would know of its absence. My father had, and he was furious.

"When he discovered the Sennen Bracelet missing, he went searching for me and my siblings right away. Rashid was the only one home, which angered my father even more. Rashid was given the whip, and he turned it on Ishizu and I when we returned a short time later. He forbade Ishizu from letting me go out again, and even if I left by myself her and Rashid would be severely punished.

"I was horrified at my father's cruelty. I couldn't understand why he treated us with such malice and rage. Even so I was still a child and loved my father, and out of respect for him and my siblings I didn't go out again.

"Then there was the initiation," Malik's voice dropped to a dark, lower tone. By the sudden change in his voice and the far away look in his eyes, Amari sensed that these memories were most probably very painful for him to relive. She began to reach for his hand in comfort but stopped herself and gripped her knee instead. She bit her lip.

He went very quiet, and for a long while he said nothing, battling the emotions raging inside himself. Amari hardly breathed, not daring to start him up again. With a deep, calming breath, Malik reemerged from his memories just enough to continue with his morose story.

"It wasn't long after our last meeting- possibly about two or three months after- when my father approached me. He told me that the Tomb Keeper's Initiation was an honor bestowed upon each male heir to the Ishtar line. Being the legitimate heir and of the right age, it was my turn to undergo the ceremony.

"He carved our family's secrets into my back, all the while pounding our creed into my skull in a cold, unfeeling voice- a stranger's voice. It was a painful process, but I survived.

"But that isn't the whole story," He returned fully to the present then, the glazed look in his eyes gone, but the pain of past events still visible. "I want you to know the reason for all of this, the reason why I've kidnapped you from your freinds. I want- _need_- you to know and understand my reasons for doing all of this," He swept an arm out, gesturing to the entirety of the room but meaning something much bigger.

Amari tightened her grip on her knees, a stone of uneasiness lodging and cramping in her stomach. She had a feeling his story was about to turn in an even darker direction. Malik continued,

"I snuck out again the next day. I knew I shouldn't and that it would mean a terrible punishment- not only for me, but for Ishizu and Rashid as well- but I couldn't help myself. I was a child suffering in many different ways. I needed someone to talk to and be with, someone who could distract me from the physical and mental hurt. I needed a friend- _you_, Mar," His voice was so low as he spoke this that Amari almost missed his words. She'd caught them, though, and it caused the rock to fall deeper into the pit of her gut.

"But when I arrived in town I became lost almost right away. I ended up wandering around the bazaars for a good three hours before I found myself right back to when I'd started from. I can't tell you how angry I was. I felt so stupid and shameful for not knowing my way around the city by myself. Soon I gave up and returned home to receive my punishment.

"As soon as I entered my home my father was upon me. He took the whip to me, and it was much worse than normal, seeing as how my back was still raw from the initiation. I must have blacked out from the pain sometime while being beaten, because when I came to, my father was dead on the ground beside me," Amari stifled another gasp with her hands, and Malik stared at the opposite wall to avoid the aghast look he knew she must be wearing. She was very still and didn't say a thing, so when Malik turned back to face her, he was very surprised to find her crying.

"Malik, I'm so sorry!" she sobbed, her hands still covering her face. "I didn't know! I didn't know anything; I'm so, so sorry!"

"Mar, don't cry. It's-" _What? _Malik thought. _Alright? Because it isn't. If it was she wouldn't be sitting here right now, crying for me. We'd have never met again, not in this life._

Malik gently tore her hands away from her face, and keeping them gripped in his he stared intently into her eyes.

"I'm sorry I've upset you with this, but I haven't fully finished explaining my story," he said, his voice now low and urgent. Amari tried her best to get a hold of her feelings, letting out a shuddering sob to steady herself. Once Malik felt she was ready, he continued.

"Next to my father's corpse stood a kid not much older than we are now. He told me that my father lay dead here only because the Pharaoh willed it. You and I both know who this pharaoh is that the boy was speaking of. Amari, the spirit that takes control of your cousin murdered my father. I must avenge him, don't you see? It's the only way my family and I can be at peace. Do you understand now? Please say something, Amari," His grip traveled up her arms and pulled her closer to him, his intent eyes searching hers for any sign of understanding.

Amari pursed her lips, tears still silently sliding down her flushed cheeks. Slowly she nodded but still said nothing. Malik's steel-like grip on her arms slackened as he relaxed.

"Thank you," he breathed, full of relief. "I'm glad you understand, even if it isn't fully yet," He leaned back to give her room to openly express whatever remnant sorrow still clung to her from his morbid tale. Amari wiped her eyes, only to have them well up again with the glossy shine of unshed tears. She sniffled.

"Will your-" Amari started, only to be cut off by her own sniffling as she cleared her throat, "-will Yugi be harmed at all?" Malik shook his head slowly.

"I hold nothing against him, and so I won't if I can help it," he sighed, pushing back the bangs falling into his face once again, "but there's no possibility that he'll be safe. Being the Pharaoh's reincarnate, I don't know what will happen to him when their connection is severed. I also doubt that he will give up the Pharaoh and his Puzzle willingly,"

Amari bit her lip hard enough to the point where she nearly drew blood. All this talk about revenge and harm towards her only family made her squeamish. Still, the pharaoh had killed Malik's father, or at least that was what had been told to him. She felt sympathetic- and even a bit empathetic- towards him in all this. If she had discovered that her parents had been set up instead of dying accidentally in that ruin collapse… She shook her head. No need to fill her thoughts with unnecessary morbid things that weren't even true.

Malik stood, holding a hand out for Amari to take. As soon as she was on her feet, Malik drew her into a tight embrace. This was the second time Malik had caught her unawares in a situation like this, but unlike last time, this one lasted much longer. Unsure of what else to do, Amari returned the gesture.

"I'm very glad we were able to meet once again," he murmured into her hair, "even if the circumstance isn't one I thoroughly enjoy," He chuckled softly, as if his statement was meant as a joke. Amari said nothing in response, just allowing herself to be held by him. When he finally let go he gently ushered her out of his room, insisting that she go rest and think about what he'd told her.

"I have more important business to attend to," he told her, "so I won't be back until later tonight. I'll be really busy these next few days as well. If you need anything just talk to Rashid," Before she left he offered her a genuine smile, the last one since her first arrival weeks before. Amari couldn't imagine how much better he must have felt, finally being able to tell his story to someone. How long had he had to keep those feelings locked inside of himself? She doubted he'd said anything remotely as intimate to anyone else in his entire life before.

As she lay in her bed thinking, Rune hovered close by, saying nothing.

_You're awfully quiet, _she mused through this mind link. Rune shrugged, her arms crossed.

"Are you upset over his saying the Pharaoh had killed his father?" she persisted, this time aloud in a soft, barely audible whisper. Rune glanced in her Hikari's direction, finally allowing her shoulders to sag as she let out a devastating sigh.

'_I just don't understand my own thoughts,' _Rune half growled, putting a transparent hand to her forehead. _'I want to defend him and say there'd be no way he would or _could_ kill Malik's father, but I wouldn't be sure if I was being truthful in saying it or not, seeing as how all my memories of him are wiped clean,' _Her face contorted in complete dismay, a look Amari found foreign to her Yami's beauteous frame. _'How pathetic. My own brother and yet I know nothing about him!' _

Never to Amari had Rune seem so vulnerable before. She was always the stronger one out of them, the rock Amari could cling to when she felt she would be swept away in the undertow of their lives together. Seeing her appear to small and disheartened left Amari at a loss.

"What should we do?" Amari whimpered. Slowly Rune removed the hand from her face, looking much older that her apperance gave.

'_We need to leave,' _she murmured. _'The Pharaoh must be found and confronted. If we find him innocent of his crime then we must warn him,' _

_And if he isn't innocent? _Amari asked. _What if he did kill Malik's father? _Rune was silent a moment, causing her Hikari to squirm in impatience. When she finally answered, it was in a voice so cold it caused Amari to shiver.

'_If he is guilty, may Isis help him. If he is guilty I will personally hand him over to Malik and apologize for his suffering. I will have my brother pay for his crimes,' _

* * *

Rashid stood by the bow of the yacht, bracing himself against the night's soft breeze. Malik had already left to attend to things elsewhere, leaving him in charge once again- a common occurrence, especially as of late. Many things had started changing since Amari had been taken a couple weeks ago. Rashid found the changes to be surprisingly good. She had definitely left an impression on the Hunters that came and went (and to Rashid's pure amusement found that most feared and kept away from her when they could. Apparently the ones who'd witnessed her intense personality change when she was first brought aboard had spread the word about her around like wildfire. None dared approach her, at least not alone.)

Malik had also changed dramatically. Before he seemed only hell-bent on getting his hands on the Sennen Puzzle to finally rid himself of the Pharaoh and the metallic rage he brought with him in name. Being close to them, Amari's presence seemed to have soften the blow of him, if only minutely. Malik was defiantly calmer now, at least.

There was even a slight difference in Shanti's personality. Ever since her confrontation with Amari she seemed even more livelier than before. She might have even become a bit cheerful, if that were ever possible.

And then there was him. Rashid didn't even know where to start on how much she'd changed him since her arrival. With Amari came all the memories of his childhood, even the ones from before they'd met her, all the way back to even before Malik's birth. Rashid smiled as he remembered his adoptive mother, how kind and passionate she was. Amari was a lot like her in some ways. It was probably the reason why she brought so many memories with her wherever she went.

_Clack! _Rashid stiffened. What was that noise? It had almost sounded like a window shutting. He told himself to ignore it, but Rashid found himself unable to relax again. He kept listening. Another few moments ticked by, and nothing else stirred.

Rashid was about to go back into his thoughts when the soft voice of a girl reached his ears. Was that Amari's voice? He turned, expecting to see her on the deck with him or at least an open window near by. Spying neither, he became suspicious. He was certain he'd head her voice, and it had sounded unreasonably close. Unless…

Rashid looked up, his eyes widening as he did so.

Climbing a suspiciously thin metal wire above his head was Amari, who was balancing quite well despite the constant swaying from the sea breeze. Rashid thought his heart was going to stop.

"Amari!" he shouted, more out of reflex fear than actual wanting to. Amari stopped abruptly on the wire and turned to see who'd called her name, her face a mixture of guilt and surprise at her being caught.

"Get down here, right now!" Rashid ordered, sounding very much like an enraged and fearful mother. Amari opened her mouth to say something just as another, much stronger gust of wind blew by. Being in the position she was with her body half turned towards Rashid, she could not balance herself properly in time. Her surprise giving way to a deeper shock, Amari teetered backwards and fell from the wire. Shouting her name, Rashid ran to the ship's railing just in time to see her hit the water far below. Desperately he watched to see her reemerge, looking for any signs of her in the murky depths- air bubbles, a swirl of dark hair, anything. He was just about to jump in after her when to his right the water exploded, and up came Amari's head, sputtering and gasping for air. Relief washed over him as he heard her cough water from her lungs. He cupped his hands over his mouth and called down to her. Amari looked up, smiled, and wave, causing Rashid to smile.

"I'll throw you a life ring, stay where you are!" he told her, but Amari shook her head. Instead, she began swimming towards the shore. At first Rashid thought this a good idea, seeing as how the pier was closer to her now than the yacht was. He thought this for a good few minutes before he remembered why she had been up on the wire in the first place.

She was trying to escape again.

Cursing to himself, he ran to the speedboats, passing two Hunters on the way and calling for them to follow him. It would be good to have back up, seeing as how Amari was surprisingly fast for someone of her height. As soon as he hit was water, he saw that Amari was already climbing the latter to the pier. He cursed again.

Amari started running as soon as her feet hit dry land, though it was hard to so at first since her legs wouldn't stop wobbling. She stumbled more than a few times before she reached the first sidewalk back to civilization. Hitting the crowds, she bumped into strangers as she ran along the crowded streets. Many people gave her strange looks as she passed but didn't mind them. She was too busy focusing on getting away from Rashid. No doubt he was already close on her trail. If she listened hard enough she swore she could just hear the fast and heavy footsteps of pursuit closing in on her.

Rounding a corner she smacked into something hard, causing her to fly backwards on her bottom. Dazed and a little confused her rubbed her throbbing neck as a cold voice sneered above her.

"If it isn't the Homeward Bound. Finally slinking back home, are you? Took you long enough to find your way back," Amari froze, recognizing the voice. Looking up, she flashed a wicked smile.

"Well hello there, Kaiba,"

* * *

  
**I'm back! Miss me? I bet you did, you rascals!**

**Okay, a few things to point out, yes, I know Malik recived the initiation a year before he killed his dad (and killed his dad right after his first day outside) , but ****for the** **sake of this fanfic I'm switching the order. (it's more fun that way, anyhow)  
And in case any of you have no idea what the chapter means, it's 'Explanations' and 'Escape Plan' mushed together. Aren't I a clever bastard? Yes, yes I am, even if I am a girl. ( For those of you who did catch that, you are also clever bastards and deserve a muffin. Good for you, muffins! :D )  
Also forgive me for taking a year and a half to get this out to you. I know I suck, so there's no need to point such things out to me.  
Cheers,**

**-MQ**


	13. Reunion

**Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, Amari and Rune are mine, so don't steal. ( Feel free to borrow them, though. They'd probably like that. )

* * *

**

**Chapter Thirteen**- _Reunion_

Amari sat on the opposite side of the limo from Kaiba, drumming her fingers on her knees restlessly. The grouchy CEO merely ignored her, clattering away at the keys on his very expensive-looking laptop. Both of them stayed quiet during the ride through the city. Amari stared out the tinted window, realizing that for the first time in a long while, she was able to fully relax. Her shoulders sagged. She was going home.

"Thanks for giving me a lift," she spoke up softly in the silence of the limousine. Kaiba let out a low grunt, looking away from the screen to glance over her weary, soaked frame.

"Yeah, well, it isn't like I'm doing this for you," he grumbled. "Yugi has only been battling half-assed since you've disappeared, and I refuse to beat him when he's not at full power," He looked over her appearance once again, grimacing slightly. "You're going to owe me for the water damage done to the upholstery, as well. Just remember that," A small smile flitted across her face as she returned to staring out the window.

"I see," she murmured.

It wasn't long until the small game shop came into view. It was dark on the streets by this time, and only one light on the upper floor left a blazing clue that someone was home. Amari shut the door to the limousine, giving Kaiba one last wave in farewell as she approached the door. By the time she found the spare key, the CEO's car was out of sight. She turned the lock and pushed the door open, the small bell hanging above the doorway jingling lightly to announce her presence.

Some shuffling was heard overhead, followed by someone calling, "Is somebody there?" Amari turned from the door slowly, her heart pounding in her ears. It was matched by footsteps making their way quickly down the steps. They stopped at the bottom, and Amari smiled weakly at the person standing there.

"Hey, Yugi," she mumbled, tucking a wet strand of hair behind her ear. Yugi stared at his cousin in shock, as if she had come back from the dead. He took a cautious steps forward.

"Mar?" he gasped, causing her smile to grow a bit wider.

"I'm home," she told him, her voice cracking at the end as she fell to her knees. Yugi ran to embrace her as she began to cry.

All night long the two of them sat on their couch, crying together and telling stories about what had happened to each of them since her disappearance all those weeks ago. At first Yugi was very surprised to hear about her past connections to the Ishtars, but he decided to accept it.

"But wait, what about the tournament?" he asked, dismayed. "I highly doubt you had any time to duel anyone while being held captive,"

"Malik had a couple of his Hunters give me their map pieces that they'd collected, so I didn't have to do a thing. No worries," she told him, waving away his concerns with the back of her hand. "I was actually hoping that I could drop out this way, but Malik blew _that _hope out of the water by the end of the first week," Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders as if it couldn't be helped. "Oh well, guess I'm still stuck in this stupid tournament. At least now I'm guarantied into the finals," Yugi frowned.

"Amari," he sighed before shaking his head and changing his mind. "Never mind," he mumbled, getting off the couch to head back upstairs.

"Yugi?" Amari called softly after him. He turned, foot poised on the first step.

"Yes?"

Amari bit her lip, averting her eyes as if she were having trouble with what to say.

_Ill ask them tomorrow_, she told herself before uttering a sigh. She waved Yugi away, telling him warily, "Forget it. I'll see you tomorrow," Yugi stared at her a moment longer before shrugging his shoulders, saying goodnight, and heading up the steps to sleep. Amari leaned back on the couch, throwing an arm over her eyes. She was much too tired to make the trudge up the steps to her own room. She would just crash here tonight.

"Forgive me, Malik," she mumbled unhappily before turning over to go to sleep.

* * *

Malik returned to the yacht around eleven, his heart light despite the minor set-back he'd had to take care of earlier that day.

He'd been so close. The mute Hunter he'd sent after the Pharaoh and his reincarnate was just about to win the duel that would break their spirits, but then that good-for-nothing Kaiba had to show up.

Still, this was just a small problem, one so insignificant that it could hardly be called a problem. He didn't need the Pharaoh's spirit shattered in order to defeat him. No, not as long as Amari was at his side. That would be more than enough to ruin the Pharaoh's resolve and break his heart.

Ever since he'd spoken with Amari earlier that day, Malik couldn't help himself but to be in a good mood. Now Amari knew all that had happened and why he was doing what he was doing, _and_ she understood. She trusted him now, enough to turn her back on her own family. Enough to stay with him and help him achieve his revenge… nothing could bring him down from this high.

Speaking of, perhaps he should treat her to something. Granted it was quite late so many places weren't open. What about a late viewing of that new movie? She'd been rambling about it for days, begging him to go see it. He'd refused, of course, the memories of their last adventure off the yacht too fresh in his mind.

Well, now it was a whole other story. He began the walk towards her room, humming lightly as he played out each scenario in his head, or most of them before Rashid approached from the opposite hall.

* * *

Rashid sighed heavily as he went forth from his room. Amari had gotten away. Again.

Wonderful.

How was he going to explain this to Malik? He'd been elated as of late, due to a long discussion the two of them had had earlier in the day. Rashid didn't know exactly what it was about, but he had some suspicions…

Rashid rounded a corner, only to freeze in place as he saw Malik making his way towards Amari's bedroom.

"M-Master Malik!" he called out in panic, his heart leaping into his throat as Malik reached for the door handle. He paused, thank Ra, and spun on him with an irate expression.

"What?" he snapped. "Can't you see I'm busy?" Rashid shrunk back, his mind blank of anything remotely important to say. Should he just tell him the truth?

_Well_, Rashid thought as he warily rubbed his face, _he'll find out soon enough,_

"Ah, Master Malik, there's something you should know about… Amari," he struggled to say as he walked closer, his arms out in front of him cautiously as if he were approaching a cornered animal. Malik gave him a strange look.

"What about her?" he asked. "Is she sick or something?"

"Or something," Rashid mumbled under his breath before covering it with another sigh. "Well, she's sort of… not… really- just, don't be alarmed," he finally finished with a slight cringe. Malik shot him a wary look before turning to look suspiciously at the closed door. Placing a hand on the knob, he pushed the door open.

The room was dark, save for the moonlight filtering in from an open window. Under said window was a chair, poised in a way that showed someone had used it to climb through the open space above..

The bed was nice and neat- an obvious sign that no one had slept there. On the pillow lay a small slip of paper, and on said paper was a note. Malik picked it up, but he didn't look at it. He could guess what it said.

Rashid stood in the open doorway, sympathy coursing through his frame. How terrible Malik must have felt. It was obvious that whatever intimate moment the two of them shared earlier wasn't nearly enough for her to stay.

"We'll get her back, you needn't worry about that, Master," Rashid murmured quietly. Malik crushed the note in his hands, anger pulsating off him in waves.

"You're right," he replied, his voice dangerously low. "We'll get her back alright, or _I'll _get her back," Rashid sucked in his breath, not at all comfortable with the tone in his voice.

"What will you do… when you get her back, Master?" he asked hesitantly. He was almost afraid to ask, for fear the answer would be a discouraging- or even dangerous- one.

Malik was silent a moment, as if speculating the answer.

"I'm not sure, yet," he finally answered, causing Rashid's shoulders to sag. Bowing his head, he gestured respectfully to his younger brother.

"By your leave, Master," he said before leaving the young Egyptian alone in the dark of Amari's room.

Malik stood there a moment longer, doing nothing but staring blankly at the crumpled paper in his hands. Silently, he began to tear it up.

_She was supposed to understand. She'd _said_ she'd understood, so why-? _He tore at the paper viciously, his anger boiling over into a complete rage. With a fearsome yell, he threw the torn papers at the opposite wall, moving on to her other possessions- her desk and the random things that resided there, the covers on her bed, the very chair she'd used to escape. Once satisfied, he walked from the room, tears clouding his vision. He punched the doorframe on his way out.

He didn't even bother to close the door.

* * *

**AUTHOR's NOTE;**

**Gosh I'm terrible. Hopefully that last scene wasn't too o-o-c to be disgraceful.  
Sorry for the long wait. Again.  
**

**-M_q_**


	14. Namu

**Disclaimer: Damn, I'm sick of these disclaimers. I quit. It's obvious I don't own Yugioh! anyway.

* * *

**

**Chapter Fourteen**- _Namu_

"Oh my God! You're alive!"

"Not for long if you don't get off me!" Amari gasped. Aki squeaked, releasing her friend quickly. She sniffled quietly as tears misted over her almond-shaped eyes.

"Sorry, I just missed you so much," she apologized as she wiped her eyes on the back of her hands. "After finding out you were kidnapped by a madman-"

"Don't call him that!" Amari snapped, causing Aki to be taken aback. She held up her hands in surprise.

"Okay, okay, but what else can I call him? It's pretty much the truth, after all,"

Amari let out an exasperated groan as she rolled her eyes towards the ceiling.

"You just don't know him like I do, that's all," she replied. Jounochi leaned over towards Anzu and muttered,

"I think she's turned into one of those nutso victims who grows sympathetic towards their captor," At this he twirled his pointer finger near his cranium and made a face, covering it with his other hand so Amari couldn't see. She did, despite his best efforts, and without much warning, got up and whacked him across the head with her pillow, hard enough to knock him onto the floor.

"Shut up, dog-breath!" she snapped, borrowing one of Kaiba's favorite insults for him. "You're going to become _my _victim in a minute," Moaning, Jounochi righted himself and rubbed his head sorely until Amari turned her back to him. Once certain she wasn't looking, he repeated the gesture. Anzu began to laugh, unable to help herself, and this time it was Aki who smacked him over the head. Jounochi cursed loudly, which made Anzu laugh even harder.

"Mar, are you sure you're okay?" Yugi asked from his perch on the end of the couch. Amari, with her back still turned to them, was now staring out the window, arms crossed over her chest defensively.

"Yeah," she replied quietly with a sigh, "just a bit jumpy, that's all,"

"Well, you're safe now, right?" Jounochi asked. "What's there to be jumpy about?"

"It's just-" She turned to face them again, her eyes locking with Yugi's across the room. For a painful moment, she thought she was staring at the Pharaoh. "No, it's nothing," she finished, offering them a weak smile. "Hey, do you mind if we head in to town later? It feels like I haven't been there in ages,"

"You're not going to wear your duel disk?" Aki asked, noticing Amari's bare arm. Amari shrugged.

"I already have all the locater cards I need, so why bother?" was her answer. Aki shot her a look that showed she wanted to say more, but she didn't ask anything else. She'd just come back to them form a terrible ordeal, after all.

'_Hikari_,' Rune interrupted, '_We must confront him soon, but get him alone, first. We don't need anyone else poking their nose in where it doesn't belong_,'

_I know, Rune_, Amari replied solemnly, glancing over at Yugi, who walked a few feet in front of her. The Pharaoh's spirit hovered close to her cousin. It was obvious they were having some sort of discussion of their own.

'_I still say we should have spoken with him last night_,' Rune continued to say, using her lecturing tone of voice. '_The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can be done with it and you can go back to your boyfriend_,'

"He's not my boyfriend!" Amari shouted, only realizing afterwards that she'd spoken aloud. The group turned towards her, an array of worried, confused expressions.

"Who's not your boyfriend?" Anzu asked, thinking she'd only missed part of a conversation.

"Um, are you sure you're not going down the loony path?" Jounochi asked suspiciously with an eyebrow raised.

Amari opened her mouth to speak, her face going red as nothing came out but a few squeaks. Knowing she was gaping at them like a fish, Amari placed her hands over her face in embarrassment. Rune didn't laugh.

"Amari," Yugi approached her, gently grabbing at her writs so she could look at him. "You're not alright, are you? Did something else happen? Something you're not saying?"

Aki's hands flew to her mouth as she came to a realization. "Oh, God, don't tell us he-"

"No! No, nothing like that!" Amari cried, removing her hands from her face to stare at her in disbelief. "Why would you think that, of all things?"

"Well, something definitely happened, didn't it?" Jounochi butt in. "You're sure acting funnier than usual, and not in the good way,"

"Well, what do you expect, Jounochi? She was held against her will and who knows what else," Aki snapped at him as she grasped Amari comfortingly by the shoulders.

"Shouldn't we discuss this somewhere else?" Anzu spoke up at last. "We're standing on a public street," This made Amari's face grow even hotter.

"Ah, listen, Yugi, there actually is something I need to… to ask of the Pharaoh… alone," she stammered, brushing Aki off. As soon as the words left her mouth, the ancient spirit appeared in front of her.

"I understand," he told her, taking her hand and beginning to lead her away from the group. "Don't follow us," he called back to the others, just as Jounochi was starting to walk with them.

"Ah, wait! Don't you think here would be a bit of an inappropriate place to talk? We should wait until we get back," The spirit stopped pulling her to look her straight in the eyes.

"You've been trying to gain up the courage to ask me something ever since you've gotten back," he observed in a serious tone. "I know you were close to asking me the other night, but you stopped. Why? Do you know something about my past?" He grabbed her by the arms, eyes filled with many emotions: hope, excitement- and even fear. Cringing back, Amari opened her mouth to speak.

"Hey! We need some help over here!"

The two of them turned, watching as the rest of the group crowded around a pair of guys, one being injured.

"Ryou!" Amari heard Aki cry out as she ran to her fallen friend. The spirit left her where she stood, forgetting all about their would-be conversation in order to assist the others. Amari didn't move, frozen in place as she stared, horrified, at the other boy. Their gazes locked, and she braced herself against the wall.

It was Malik.

Malik broke eye-contact first, playing the part of the Good Samaritan as he handed Ryou over to Aki and the others.

"I was passing by an alley when I noticed him lying there," he told them, his voice filled to the brim with false worry. "I think he might have been mugged," As the others were busy assisting the passed-out teen, Malik glanced over at her again. Slowly, he placed a finger over his lips.

"We should get him to a clinic," the Pharaoh spoke up, turning back to Malik. He held out his hand. "Thanks for helping him,"

"Oh, it's no problem," Malik assured him with a half-smile, shaking his hand. "I'm Namu, by the way,"

As all this went on, Amari could help but think of how surprisingly well of an actor Malik was. She could hardly feel any of the malice he obviously felt for the man standing before him, even going as far as to shake his hand.

_Something is really not right_, Amari mused solemnly.

'_Well, obviously_!' Rune scoffed. '_What would Malik be doing with Ryou, anyhow?_'

Amari shook her head, very confused and very afraid. Though she sensed no hatred when he faced the Pharaoh, when Malik turned to her she could feel it clearly- his anger, his fury,

And it was all directed at her.

"We'll go on ahead with Ryou to the hospital," Aki spoke up as Jounochi gathered Ryou onto his back. The Pharaoh nodded.

"We'll meet up with you," he replied, waving to them as they hurried off. "The hospital isn't far from here," he explained to Malik's strange look.

"I see," he replied just as the spirit turned to look back at Amari.

"Why are you still over there?" he asked, motioning for her to approach.

'_Hikari…_' Rune warned as Amari cautiously walked towards them. She didn'd once take her eyes off Malik.

"Namu, this is my cousin, Amari," he introduced her.

_The complete definition of 'unnecessary'_, Amari thought, muttering a soft, "Hello,"

"Hey there, Amari. I'm Namu," he replied with a light smile, once again showing off his great acting skills. He offered her his hand, and she took it hesitantly. Right away she knew it was a mistake, because he squeezed her hand rather hard. Amari winced in pain and attempted to pull away. He wouldn't let her. "That's a really cute name, Amari," he continued on as if he didn't realize anything was amiss. "Is it Arabic?"

"Ah, I… wouldn't know," she struggled to say as he gripped her hand tighter.

"It'd be interesting to find out, don't you think?" he suggested, finally letting go of her hand. Automatically she pulled it protectively to her chest, rubbing the pain away warily.

"I guess, um, we should really get to the hospital to check on Ryou," she turned to look at the Pharaoh. "Right?" He nodded.

"She's right," he agreed. "We should see you around," he told Malik. Smiling, Malik shrugged.

"Certainly. We might even meet up at the finals, you know?" he replied buoyantly. The ancient spirit nodded, steering Amari away as Anzu began walking ahead. Amari glanced behind them for one last look at Malik. He held up a hand in farewell.

"See you soon, Amari," he called after her. She quickly turned to face front, her heart pounding faster.

His expression had been absolutely terrifying.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Hm, two chapters in two days. . .that's certainly a first.  
Well, you all deserve it.  
Think I can go for a theird in three? It's quite possible. I _am_ on a roll.  
**

**-M_q _**

**_BY THE WAY:  
_ In Arabic, Amari comes from the name, 'Amar' which means, 'Moon'. In Greek, it means 'Eternal Beauty' and 'Immortal'.  
I just found that out after writing this chapter. Thought you guys would like to know that... don't ask me why.  
**

**... it also means 'Muffin Devourer' in Queenie language. :3**


	15. And we're back to square one

**Chapter Fifteen-** _And we're back to Square One_

The Pharaoh and Amari arrived at the hospital right as Ryou was coming around. By the time they found his room number, he was wide awake and chatting away with the others already gathered around them.

"Are you alright, Ryou?" Rune asked as she came up on his one side, grasping his hand and sitting partially on the bed. She'd switched placed with Amari before they'd arrived, mostly because the girl was too petrified to move around properly. She definitely would have given something away if she stayed around the others much longer, especially the Pharaoh and Yugi.

Unfortunately, it seemed they already suspected something was amiss, just because of the fact the two of them had switched places.

Ryou smiled up at her, the very picture of innocence with his snow white hair drooping into his face. "Yes, I'm fine," he assured her. "I'm not quite sure what happened to me, though. One minute I was at my house, and the next I was in the alley where that Egyptian fellow found me,"

At this bit of news, Aki and Rune shared a worried glance. Whenever Ryou had a spout of memory loss, that only meant one possible thing:

Bakura had been in control.

But if that were true, then did he go to the alley specifically to meet up with Malik?

What exactly were the two of them planning?

_Too many bad omens, I don't like it_, Rune brooded as she forced a smile at Ryou and patted his hand.

'_This isn't good_,' Amari murmured inside of the soul chamber. '_If Bakura and Malik are planning something, we're going to be in a lot of trouble_,'

_Well, we know they're planning _something, _but what_? Rune thought back.

"Amari? You still with us?" Rune snapped her head up.

"I'm sorry?" was her reply, trying to act as much like her Hikari as possible. Jounochi screwed up his face in minor annoyance.

"I think maybe we should've checked _her_ in here instead of Ryou, preferably the Psychiatric Ward,"

"Okay, Loud Mouth, I'm getting really sick of your dumbass jokes," Rune snarled as she stood up, just about ready to wring his neck.

"Hey, hey, easy!" Jounochi cried with his hands raised defensively as the Pharaoh went to restrain his sister. "I was just kidding,"

"Well, it's obviously not funny anymore, Jounochi, so cut it out," Anzu chided. Rune jerked angrily out of the other spirit's grip, heading for the door.

"I need a smoke," she announced in a dark voice, surprising most in the room.

"R-Mar-" Aki called after her, catching herself when she almost said the right name.

"Let her go," the Pharaoh ordered with a weary sigh. The last thing Rune caught as she stalked from the room was Jounochi asking, "She smokes?"

* * *

Rune walked out of the hospital, furiously digging through her Hikari's purse s she walked back down the streets of Domino.

'_You don't really need a smoke, do you_?' Amari asked sullenly. Rune tsked, slinging the purse back on her shoulder when she came up empty.

_Yeah, I do, _she answered with a growl, _which is why I'm pissed you don't have any in here,_

'_You know I hate cigarettes,' _Amari defended herself. She paused in wary silence, her voice strained when she spoke again. '_Someone's following us_,'

Rune slowed her pace, a cold chill sweeping through her body. She felt it as well, and they weren't too far behind.

"I bet I know who it is," she muttered. _Should we lose them_?

Amari was thoughtfully quiet as she thought it over.

'_No_,' she replied finally and with some difficulty. '_Let them catch us_,'

"He was really pissed," Rune said aloud, feeling her Hikari's fear wash over her is if it were her own.

'_I know_,' Amari replied unhappily. Rune sighed, quickening her pace again before slipping into an alley close by.

_Suit yourself, then_, she said in good luck before pulling back her spirit and giving Amari full control once again.

A full three minutes passed before a shadow fell over the alleyway entrance. Exhausted beyond measure, Amari didn't bother to turn around to face her would-be captors. Her shoulders sagged.

"Amari Hitore, you're to come with us," A gruff voice called to her menacingly. Amari showed no signs of having heard him, but merely stood facing the other street. Silently she watched as people walked by, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen to her. Heart hammering, she clenched her fists, Malik's face filling her mind. Angry didn't even begin to cover the expression he'd held.

"Amari Hitore," the Hunter repeated, stepping forward when she didn't respond. This time, Amari turned to face her captors, her expression defeated.

"Alright," she told them boldly. "Come get me,"

* * *

At first the Hunters were confused by her answer, wondering if this was some sort of trick. They all knew about her… mood swings… and so they weren't quite sure what to expect from the strange teen.

Cautiously they approached closer, gaining a bit of courage when she didn't move. It didn't _seem_ like she was going to run. Was she going to try to fight them all? They knew she was scary, but she was still just a girl. She couldn't take them all on, right?

Thinking as one, the Hunters all charged her at once, retraining her arms and legs quickly before she could fight back. They were all equally surprised when she didn't.

"Alright," The leader of the party ordered, "let's get her to the docks, Master's orders,"

Wait, the docks? Why the docks? Wasn't she going back to the yacht? In her surprise, she froze in place, causing two of the hunters to grasp her by the elbows to keep her moving. Just like before, they pushed her into the back of a car.

This time around her captors were much more civil, even giving her the privilege of sitting upright so she could stare out the window. By the nervous glances they shot her way, she could tell they were still on the lookout to see if she'd try anything. She ignored them, being much too focused on her awaiting doom.

They arrived at the docks, and Amari could see the yacht not far off in the distance, gently gliding across the murky waters. It quickly disappeared from sight as the car rounded a corner. Ahead of them loomed a steel building, possibly a small factory of some kind. By the front of it was some type of crane that lead into the water poking up through a suspicious hole in the center of the dock. A heavy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she hoped that wasn't the place they were headed to.

Unfortunately, it was.

The car stopped, and the lead Hunter took her by her elbow to help her from the car. He let go quickly and did not touch her again, but instead walked behind her like a menacing shadow. They lead her past the strange opening in the dock, and she couldn't help but stare at her distorted reflection below.

"Keep moving," the Hunter growled huskily in her ear before prodding her slightly in the back. Though it didn't hurt, Amari winced. One hunter opened the sliding door that lead inside the building, and Amari walked dutifully inside, but not without a slight hesitation.

There wasn't much there, save for an old utility line belt long out of use, a few crates stacked in random spots here and there, and other assorted pieces of junk the prior owners could find no use for.

The Hunters took her into a back room- possibly an old office of some sort, and sat her down in a questionably stable chair. Along with her already bound hands and feet, they tied her back to the chair with a long piece of rope, making absolutely certain she couldn't get away.

"That's not necessary," she told the Hunter that was double-knotting the rope. He glanced over at her, a wolfish grin appearing under the shadow of his hood.

"For you, it sure as hell is," he snickered, giving the rope a good tug before deciding in was secure enough. Amari grimaced in reply. Of course Malik would make sure she couldn't escape, let alone move, after her last break out. What a fool she was to believe otherwise.

This way, she couldn't run when he came to decapitate her head and mangle her remains before throwing whatever was left of her into the sea as fish bait.

Without another word, the Hunters left, the last flipping open a cell phone to call in that their mission was a success.

"Hey boss. Yeah, we got her-" Amari heard him say before the door slammed shut. She heard his muffled voice grow fainter as they exited the building. After a moment's quiet she heard a car engine rev to life before pulling away with a loud squeal.

And then there was silence.

Amari sighed, allowing her head to roll back so she could stare at the ceiling. Now what? Who knew how long it would be before someone came to get her. She had a sinking suspicion it was going to be quite awhile, most likely the first part of her punishment, like a kid forced into the corner to think about all the naughty things they'd done.

_At least my untimely demise will be prolonged this way_, she thought morbidly. Rune emerged from her soul chamber, her expression showing she wasn't at all amused by her comment.

'_Stop talking as if you're going to die!_' she snapped, her ghostly form perched on the rotted desk beside her tied up Hikari.

"I dunno," Amari drawled, "he did look really mad. I wouldn't be surprised if he came here armed with a meat cleaver," Both were quiet as each of them speculated if Amari was joking or not.

"Ra, I need a smoke," Rune finally broke in with a groan. In spite of her situation, Amari laughed.

* * *

She felt like she'd been stuck in that chair for days, though in reality it had only been a couple hours. She'd just finished playing connect-the-dots with the holes in the ceiling for about the umpteenth time when another loud engine revved outside. She lifted her head as the engine cut off, her throat going dry.

That had sounded like a motorcycle.

The sliding door was forced open with a loud screech. Amari strained to listen for footsteps, wanting to brace herself on how much time she had left to live. The footsteps were fait, but growing louder every second. Amari tightly closed her eyes as the rusted handle was pushed down.

The door opened with a soft _click! _Amari cringed into her restraints, prepared for the explosion.

Nothing happened. Everything was quiet, save for the breath of the person who no doubt stood before her, waiting for her to open her eyes.

"Amari, look at me," came Malik's voice. It sounded soft, quiet, as if to soothe her rather than strike her. Was she safe? Had he forgiven her? Timidly, she opened her eyes.

As soon as she had, she'd wished she hadn't. His expression was- if it were possible- even more terrifying than it had been earlier. To Amari, it was like looking into the face of a devil, only a hundred times more frightening.

She really was surprised there wasn't a meat cleaver poised in his right hand.

"M-Malik," she stammered unsteadily. "Malik, please listen to me-"

"No," Malik shook his head angrily. "I refuse. I'm done dealing with you,"

In spite of her sudden fear of him, Amari felt a flash of anger flare up in her.

"Oh yeah? If that's true, then why are you here now? Why are you bothering to see me then, Malik?" she demanded.

* * *

At first Malik was taken aback by her questions, not entirely knowing the answers himself. Why did he come here? What was he hoping to accomplish by seeing her? Instead of giving either of them a proper answer, he resorted to violence.

Letting out an inhuman snarl, Malik turned away from her, knocking whatever clutter was left on the desk onto the ground. A rusted lump of metal that could have been identified as an old stapler smashed against the wall and broke into three pieces. He whirled on her again, his eyes now filled with the unfathomable fury he'd been holding back.

"I told you everything!" he shouted. "I trusted you enough to tell you my story, and what do you do, Amari? _What do you do?_" At this he grabbed the armrests on each side of her, hard enough to turn his dark knuckles white. She shrunk back even farther as he loomed over her, eyes crazed with anger. Amari was stunned into silence, mouth slightly open helplessly as she tried to form words.

"I--I-"

"You. _Betrayed_. Me." He growled through clenched teeth. "After everything, you still betrayed me. He's a _killer_, Amari. That man is nothing but a damn killer. Are you really deciding to side with a murderer?"

"You don't know that for sure!" she finally managed to choke out. "All you have to go on is the words of a stranger. For all you know, he killed your father, not the Pharaoh! That's why I left, to-"

"_Enough_!" Malik barked, raising his hand as if to strike her. Amari flinched, preparing for the low, but none came. A new expression came into Malik's eyes, one she found worse than any anger he could muster.

Malik was in pain.

"I don't want to hear anything else from you. Ever," he told her darkly as he turned his back to her. "After I kill the Pharaoh and his reincarnate, you'll be free to go. Just don't come looking for me," He opened the door to walk out. "You'll regret it if you do, I promise you that,"

Amari's heart leapt into her throat at his words, and for the first time since her capture she struggled against her restraint.

"Malik, you can't!" she cried, suddenly the most fearful than she'd ever been. Tears stung her eyes as he closed the door, blocking her view of him. "You said you wouldn't you liar!" she yelled after him. "You were supposed to be my friend!"

Malik shut the door her cries, pausing a moment as he caught her last, angry statement.

"You were supposed to be mine," he murmured in reply.

Then he was gone.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Ack! Too sad, but probably one of my favorite chapters thus far.  
Malik probably could've flipped out more, but meh. More of that to come later, anyhow. **

**Three in Three! I did it! -applause- Thank you, thank you, I know I'm brilliant. (gosh I'm vain when I actually do my work, aren't I? It's for the people, Queenie, not you.)  
Unfortunately, I'll be away this weekend (again) so I won't make Four in Four. Pity.  
But there's always next week, so no fretting, Sweets!**

**Well, that's all for now. I'll get started on the next chapter as soon as I get this back. (maybe even later tonight. . .? Don't quote me on that, though.)**

**Chao.**

**-M_q_**


	16. Witch and Brat

**Chapter Sixteen-** _Witch and Brat_

For the past day- or what she'd assumed had been a day- five different hunters had come and gone, either bringing her food or just checking to make sure she hadn't escaped. Malik didn't visit her once.

Nor did she think he ever would again.

Amari sighed as she stared out through the grimy panes of the old office window, her restraints now gone but her door still bolted shut. She was allowed out of the room only one time since they'd taken her here, her only bathroom break.

"Just another part of the torture," she muttered hotly. Rune said nothing as she hovered over her main perch on the dusty, old desk, legs crossed as she stared silently over at her Hikari- watching, waiting. Amari felt her eyes, and she cringed against them. She knew exactly what the spirit was waiting for.

She just wasn't sure she could make it happen.

Did she want to escape? Of course she did. How else was she to warn her cousin about the doom awaiting him if he didn't relinquish the Pharaoh? Even now she mentally kicked herself for not asking the ancient spirit her important question. If she'd just asked that night she'd returned, she could have left them a note and snuck back onto the dock before Malik had even returned. Everything would have been fine then.

Now, because of her reluctance, Yugi was going to die.

The thought of it hit Amari so hard it was like a constant swift blow to the chest, knocking all the air from the lungs and never giving her enough time to breathe in again. She leaned her head against the dirty window as tears blurred her vision and stung her eyes. She needed to get out and warn him, warn him of the danger, but there was no way out. She was on the second floor with a locked door and no footholds to climb down with. Even if there were, Hunters were constantly stationed around each exit. Even if she could climb down, one was bound to spot her. Malik had left no mistakes this time. She was trapped.

"Damn it," she murmured, saying it once again even louder as she pounded her fist on the wall. She screamed it now as she kicked over the chair that had held her captive before running to the door and beating on it with all she was worth, screaming for them to let her out. Rune watched her all the while in silence, expressionless as Amari lost control. She whirled on her, snapping, "Are you just going to sit there and _watch_ me? I'm trying my best to get us out of here, alright? What more do you want from me? _What_?" Rune said nothing, knowing whatever she said now would most likely make the situation worse. Impatient with her, Amari cursed again and kicked a piece of debris towards the far wall before crumpling in the middle of the floor, hands holding her head.

Not long after, the door unlocked. Amari looked up and over warily, having half a mind to barrel down whomever came through there and making a run for it. Her idea crumbled away when that person ended up being two, rather bulky Hunters, so massive only one could fit through the doorframe at a time. They held something- or someone- between them, but Amari couldn't tell who it was because the first Hunter blocked her view. He grinned down at her wickedly, a snicker hissing between his lips.

"Hey Witch, found you a nice, little cellmate," he remarked. Amari rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. Over the past few hours, the Hunters who'd passed through had taken it upon themselves to experiment with nicknames for her, most including either a vulgar image or word. It seemed 'Witch' was the phrase of the hour.

The second Hunter squeezed the kidnappe between them, tossing him onto the floor beside her like a sack of potatoes. The boy let out a yelp as he hit the floor, landing at a painful angle on his shoulder. The Hunters laughed, and the boy turned over to glare daggers at them.

"I'll remember your faces," he warned. "When I'm returned to my brother, he won't rest until your lives are completely ruined,"

"Ooh I'm so scared!" the second Hunter cried in a high-pitched voice, feigning a whimper as his buddy laughed. Each of them filed out before slamming the door painfully shut behind them. Amari prayed they'd be stupid enough to forget to lock the door, but no dice. The lock slid back into place with a soft _click!_

The boy turned slightly to face her, scrutinizing her features. Though he was just a kid, Amari felt like squirming under his gaze. She felt the same way whenever Kaiba looked at her, the air around him so intimidating and arrogant, as if he were God's Greatest Creation and she were nothing but a lowly bug.

"You're Yugi's cousin, right?" he finally asked. Amari nodded slightly.

"Yeah, you've met me a few times before. I'm Amari," she replied. The boy nodded, agreeing with her, before scooting around so his back was to her.

"Untie me," he ordered, and after a slight hesitation Amari obliged. "I'm Mokuba," he added after a moment's silence.

"I know," Amari said as she struggled with the knot. "Yugi has told me a few things about you,"

"Like what?" Mokuba asked quickly in a suspicious tone. Amari stifled a smile.

"Nothing in particular," she answered. "Just that you were Kaiba's younger brother and, apparently, very smart,"

"Of course," Mokuba answered matter-of-factly, the arrogant air back around his shoulders. Amari rolled her eyes slightly. He really was a lot like his brother.

She undid the last large knot, and Mokuba was free. He didn't bother to thank her as he stood up, rubbing his wrists as he went to look out the window. He grimaced, spotting the robed guards outside.

"They're everywhere," Amari mumbled, still sitting on the floor.

"I thought you'd already escaped from these guys," Mokuba demanded, turning away from the window to stare at her. "Brother said he'd just helped you home a few days ago. Are you really stupid enough to get yourself captured again?" Amari turned her glance towards the opposite wall, pulling her legs into her chest.

"Actually, I let them catch me this time," she responded, her voice falling into a light sigh. Mokuba snorted, crossing his arms and staring down at her with a condescending expression.

"You really are stupid, then," he replied snidely. Amari said nothing for a moment, her eyes meeting Rune's across the room.

"Perhaps you're right," she murmured, more to herself than him.

Three hours passed since Mokuba was thrown in with her, and the two of them had barely spoken since he'd insulted her. Once in awhile she caught him glancing over at her, but whenever she turned to face him he quickly looked away. It would have made her smile if her mind wasn't so preoccupied with other things.

For one thing, why had Malik bothered to capture Kaiba's brother? His beef was with the Pharaoh- and now her- so what did Kaiba have to do with all of this?

'_Another bad omen_,' Rune spoke up suddenly in the silence, her first words in the past day. Amari glanced over her transparent form warily.

"There are just too many, aren't there?" she said aloud. Mokuba turned her way.

"What?" he asked. Amari looked over to him, only then realizing her thoughts had been audible.

"Ah, um, nothing," she told him, mustering a smile. She'd almost forgotten the boy was even there. Mokuba continued to scrutinize her a few moments before looking back out the window.

"Weird girl," he muttered.

The door handle jingled, and both of them whirled around to face the door. Amari walked over to Mokuba, whispering in his ear, "When the door opens, I'll charge the person there, then you make a run for it, okay? But you have to find Yugi. Tell him not to come looking for me-"

"Are you nuts?" Mokuba hissed back, interrupting her instructions. "What makes you think you can compare with one of those guys? They're huge! Besides, I'll just get caught right away,"

Amari was just about to retort that he was just acting cowardly when the door swung open. Amari braced herself to run at the person, only to falter when she saw who stood there.

"Jounochi?" she asked in a breathless manner. His cheeks were sunken in slightly, more profound by the sneer on his face. His eyes were hollow, surrounded by dark bruises under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in awhile. As he approached closer, Amari noticed the tiniest flicker. For a moment, his eye color had been lavender.  
No, this wasn't Jounochi after all.

It was Malik.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Yes, yes, it's very short. I know. I actually had some dire writer's block with this chapter. I'll probably edit it later on to put some cuteness in there, but right now I just can't make that happen. My appologies, one and all.  
The good news is, the next chapter is already on it's way, and I should have it up here by tonight. Hopefully.  
Until then, sweets**

**-M_q_  
**


	17. Considerable Misfortune

**Chapter seventeen**- _Considerable Misfortune_

Amari shook her head, taking a few steps back and pushing Mokuba behind herself protectively. More Hunters filed in after their 'master', already advancing towards them. She felt as Mokuba tightly clutched the back of her shirt, but she didn't turn to face him. Right now, she was too busy glaring at the boy in front of her.

She wasn't sure how Malik was able to control Jounochi this way- nor did she really care- but she knew it wasn't going to be for anything good. A rock settled in the pit of her stomach as she stared him down.

"What is this, Malik?" she demanded harshly. He didn't answer, nor did she think he would, but that didn't stop her from asking a second time. Again he didn't reply, merely nodding his head from his people to rush them.

One Hunter tore Mokuba away from her, and he fought against him with all the might he could muster. Amari ran to aid him, only to be cornered by a different hunter, who quickly restrained her arms behind her back. She called to Mokuba when she heard him cry out in pain, turning her anger on Malik as she struggled. Venomously she spat,

"I swear to God, Malik, if you so much as hurt a hair on his head-"

"Shut up!" a Hunter growled, striking her hard across the face with the back of his hand. He then grabbed a fistful of her hair and forced her head up so she could catch the full blast of his foul breath. "You will respect your master, Witch," he hissed. Amari spat in his face.

Outraged, the hunter let go of her hair to strike her again.

"Enough," Malik ordered sharply, stopping the man short. The Hunter let out a grunt as Malik lead them out of the room, kneeing Amari in the gut once his master's back was turned. Amari coughed violently, bending forward as she tried to regain her breath. Amari's cheek stung, pulsating slightly as the other Hunter holding her forced her to walk forward.

They lead the two of them outside onto the harbor, where Amari was surprised to see Anzu strapped to a metal chair. Once she'd caught sight of her, Anzu cried out to her.

"Amari! Thank goodness you're okay. We were all so worried when you disappeared again-" She stopped short when she noticed the mark on Amari's cheek, a flaming red against her paled face. Amari ignored the look of horror on the girl's face as she set her sights on the possessed Jounochi.

"Malik, let them go," she demanded. "None of them have anything to do with this. You're mad at _me_, remember? Yugi will come just as well if I'm alone,"

"I would have captured them just the same even if you hadn't been a traitor," Malik snapped back with Jounochi's voice. Anzu shifted in the chair where she was bound, an obvious look of confusion on her face.

"Traitor? Amari, what's going on?" Anzu asked, a hint of fear creeping into her voice. Amari didn't answer as she focused on breathing in and out slowly through her nose, so as to stop the sudden spinning in her head. He'd called her a traitor, but then what did that make him?

'Jounochi' walked towards the hole in the dock, choosing the end farthest from where the Hunter held her fast. Two others came to his aid, clasping a metal chain around his left ankle. Amari, gaining a bad feeling to accompany the pain in her gut, followed the chain upward until it reached high above their heads. At the end was a giant anchor, a second one mirroring it, it's own chain leading down to the opposite platform. Amari's blood ran cold when she realized what was going on.

"Malik, don't do this!" she begged. "Please, not this way. I'm begging you," Malik met her gaze across the harbor, a wicked smile flitting across Jounochi's face as he did so.

"What's the matter, Amari?" he taunted. "I thought you'd like a good show. Don't get all riled up before the guest of honor even arrives,"

"Damn it, Malik, you can't!" The smile on Jounochi's face disappeared, replaced by a scowl.

"Let them go, Malik!"

All parties turned to see the owner of that voice, Amari's face growing paler as 'Jounochi' smirked.

"Yugi!" Anzu cried out, not yet realizing the true danger of the situation. Mokuba called out to his brother as Kaiba stepped forth next to the ancient spirit.

"I don't care about the others, but I demand you return Mokuba to be," he ordered, pointing a finger at the possessed boy. This earned a sideways glance from the Pharaoh.

Malik merely chuckled, shaking his head.

"Sorry," he replied sarcastically, "but he stays with me until I get a duel with the Pharaoh," Instinctively, the Pharaoh stepped forward, ready to accept the challenge.

"Don't do it, Yugi!" Amari cried out desperately. "Get away! Run in the opposite direction and don't look back. He plans to-" She was cut off by her own yelp of pain as the Hunter twisted her arm.

"Hush now, Witch," he hissed in her ear. "You've had your chance to speak. It's the Master's turn now," She met the Pharaoh's eyes, begging him mentally to decline the duel. He shook his head slightly before turning towards the possessed Jounochi.

"I accept, but let them go," he agreed, stepping up to the opposite platform. 'Jounochi' grinned, and in the same moment a Hunter clasped the chain around the spirit's ankle. Amari's throat went dry and Malik chuckled darkly.

"You should have listened to her, Pharaoh," he chided with a shake of 'his' head. "Now you have no way to escape,"

"What is this?" the Pharaoh demanded as he stared between the chain on his leg and his once-friend across the water.

"This, dear Pharaoh, is the beginning to your end," Malik announced, spreading 'his' arms out wide. "You see, I figured this duel would be much more interesting if we had something. . . of worth at stake.  
"See these chains on our ankles?" At this he lifted his own leg and gave it a good shake. "They're attached to the anchors above our heads. The more life points we lose during the duel, the closer those anchors get to the water. As soon as one of us reaches zero in our life points, the anchor falls," 'he' grinned wickedly as his eyes flickered between lavender and brown, "and so do we,"

"You're insane," the Pharaoh answered, causing Malik to laugh.

"You coward!" Amari spat as she struggled against the Hunter that restrained her. "You wretch! Pitting him against his friends instead of facing him yourself," Malik turned his attentions on her, 'his' face grimacing. He pointed a finger in her direction, 'his' look murderous.

"Don't forget this is all for your benefit. I wouldn't have had to go this far if it weren't for you," Amari tore her gaze away from him and closed her eyes tightly shut, a foul taste flooding her mouth as she was faced with the truth. This duel _was_ her fault.

'_No,' _Rune invaded her thoughts, _'it isn't, and don't let him make you believe that. _You're_ not the one who latched those chains to their ankles,'_

_I might as well have_, she thought back bitterly as she forced back tears. The duel began.

Back and forth the two of them went, both anchors dropping lower and lower with each passing turn. They were almost even with one another until something strange happened, or something Amari considered quite strange. Yugi was suddenly in major control. It shocked Amari to the point where she cried out his name. He turned his head slightly to look at her in the corner of his eye, holding out a thumbs-up to her before returning to the duel. Why had Yugi and the Pharaoh switched places? What were they plotting?

Across the field 'Jounochi' didn't look happy, his face screwed up in rage as he witnessed the two spirits switch places on him. But the duel continued on, Yugi losing a serious amount of points before calling up the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

'_When had he received _that?' Rune questioned curiously, momentarily forgetting the seriousness of the duel. Amari paid her no mind, her eyes trained solely on Yugi, who called out,

"Jounochi, I know you can hear me, and since you can't break out of this mind control thing yourself, I'm going to have Red-Eyes do it for me. You ready?" Malik let out a dark laugh.

"Please," he sneered. "That whelp can't hear you-" he paused, taking an involuntary step back as 'his' face scrunched up in discomfort. He put a hand to 'his' head, and for a moment his eyes were chocolate brown instead of lavender.

But just as soon as it had happened the moment was gone, and Malik was back in control, his breathing slightly uneven. Yugi attacked with the Red-Eyes, lowering Malik's life points 200 lower than his own. The anchor dropped dangerously low, about ten feet above the water. Amari found herself holding her breath.

Just as it was certain Malik was going to lose, he drew Meteor of Destruction, totaling Yugi's life points by half. His Anchor dropped to six feet above the water, and Amari couldn't help but cry out. He was really going to lose.

It was obvious to everyone this duel was coming to an end, but on the other platform, Malik wasn't looking too well, either. Jounochi's body was sweating with effort as Malik attempted to keep control, his grasp on Jounochi slipping with each passing moment. She could tell he wanted to end this duel quickly before he lost all control, but Yugi was a fighter. Amari knew he wasn't going to give up this duel easily, at least not until Jounochi was back.

_Not longer now, _Amari figured, glancing over at 'Jounochi' once again Yugi was trying to reason with him. This time it appeared he was getting though. Soon the lavender color of his eyes faded away completely, returning to their natural, chocolate-brown color.

"Yugi. . ." Jounochi trialed off, his eyes glazed over as if in a daze. Amari felt the Hunter behind her bristle. She could tell he knew his master had lost control, but looking around at the other Hunters, they all seemed either confused or had yet to notice the change in the atmosphere. What was so special about this Hunter that he could tell the difference right away?

"Damn," the Hunter cussed. "We were so close," Only properly hearing his voice did Amari recognize who it was holding her.

Auron, the Hunter who'd first challenged Yugi when she'd been kidnapped.

She didn't have long to dwell on this because something seemed to be happening on the playing field.

"I'm sorry, Jounochi, but you're going to have to attack me," Yugi replied to something she'd missed. Her heart skipped a beat at his words, but Jounochi beat her to saying anything.

"I can't do that, Yugi. If I do, you'll drown," He shook his head, horrified at the conclusion Yugi had come to. Yugi nodded.

"Better me than you. You're sister's still in the hospital isn't she? She needs you,"

"And what about Amari?" Jounochi demanded harshly, thrusting a finger in her direction. "You're all she'd got left. Are you seriously going to have her watch you die?" Yugi turned to meet her eyes, and Amari shook her head, a tightening in her chest as panic began to take hold of her. She saw the look in his eyes, and though they were full of sorrow, she knew he'd already made his decision.

"Do it, Jounochi," he ordered, his voice stern. Jounochi hesitated, looking from between his best friend and Amari behind him, suffering with the decision he had to make. He closed his eyes tightly and called out the attack.

"No!" Amari cried, thrashing against Auron with all she had. She managed to kick him hard enough in the thigh for him to release her with a grunt, and she surged forward towards her cousin just as his life points were blown away. The anchor dropped as Amari continuously called his name. Auron caught up with her, hoisting her up and dragging her away, just as Amari watched Yugi's head slip under the water.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**le gasp! O-oh no! What will happen to Yugi? (eh, most off you already know what, but it's nice to add some dramatic effect every once in awhile)  
Gosh, that duel was so far from the origional it isn't even funny. Mind you, I haven't seen the show since I was- like- twelve (quite a long time ago, in other words) so as a reminder, most of what you read will probably be very loosely related to the original plot. Please try to bear with me if it starts to become horridly off the same plot line. I turely am doing my best.  
At least I really did get two out in the same day, like I'd promised (for once)**

**-M_q_**


	18. Lost and Found

**Chapter eighteen**- _Lost and Found_

Amari snarled like a wild animal, kicking and clawing her way out of Auron's strong grip. He called for others to help him as he lifted her over his shoulder to weaken the blows she dealt him. Amari screamed profanities at him and the others, all the while willing herself to break free of him so she could do something- anything- to save her cousin.

Two other Hunters pulled the sliding door open, and Auron waltzed inside, climbing each step with her still slung over his shoulder. He put her down, pushing her roughly inside the office prison. Amari fell face first onto the dusty, concrete floor, but too much panic and adrenaline pumped through her to feel any pain. Quickly she scrambled back up, reaching the door just as the hooded man slammed it shut.

"Let me out!" she screamed. "He's going to die, don't you see? I have to save him! Let me out! Please!" She pounded, kicked, and slammed against the door, despite there being no effect to it, screaming Yugi's name for all she was worth. She kept at it long after the Hunters had left until, exhausted, she rested her back against the stubborn door, tears streaming down her face. She put her head in her hands and sobbed.

The last thing she saw before she was dragged away was Jounochi diving into the chilly waters to save Yugi, and Amari found herself fervently praying he'd succeeded. She wasn't exactly sure _who_ she was praying to- God, maybe- but she sure hoped someone was listening to her.

"Please," she choked out softly. "Please, not him. Not now,"

If no deities heard her, Rune certainly had, and she sat next to her Hikari now, seething silently in knowing she could do nothing.

Or, maybe she could.

'_Hikari'_, Rune spoke up, an idea forming. Amari didn't move, nor did she show any inclination of hearing the spirit. Rune tried again, her voice louder.

'_Amari, I know you can hear me.' _Amari lifted her head slowly, tilting it towards her past life will dull eyes.

"What?" she croaked. Rune could feel the gloom and loss as if settled on her Hikari's shoulders, and she knew she had little time before she lost Amari to the dark shadows setting in her mind. She spoke urgently, using their mind link t keep Amari focused.

'_Amari,' _she spoke_, 'let me overshadow you. I can use the Sennen Bracelet to get us out of here. I think,'_ she corrected herself a bit, scowling at her own though process. _'It's a long shot, I admit- it's the reason I didn't bring it up sooner- but it's our only option left,' _

Amari hesitated before answering her with a slight nod. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then Rune was in control.

Opening her eyes, Rune quickly got up off the floor, ignoring the sense of sorrow that wafted off her Hikari from within her soul chamber.

"Alright," she muttered, raising her wrist to get a good look at her Sennen Bracelet. It glinted subtly in the rays of the sun that now shone in through the grimy windows. It had been awhile since she'd called upon it's powers, but she had no doubt she could call them out all the same. Lightly she brushed her fingertips over the eye in the center, and it began to glow faintly.

The air around her shifted slightly, but Rune seemed oblivious to it, chanting something softly under her breath. The room around her shivered as a strange energy surged from the bracelet, which now glowed on her wrist like a captured star.

Rune cut off her chanting, and the room settled back down to its normal state. Rune opened her eyes, grinning triumphantly as she saw what stood before her.

'_Rune…' _Amari breathed, her voice awed as Rune chuckled. Standing by the door with a perplexed expression stood a doppelganger, who snapped herself to attention at the sound of Rune's voice.

"How may I assist?" she asked, her voice a perfect copy of Rune's. This caused Rune's smile to widen.

"Wow, I did great," she murmured in self-appreciation. "Usually their voices are too high-pitched. Maybe being out of practice made me better-"

'_Okay, congratulate yourself later,' _Amari snapped, shifting out of her depressed state as curiosity took hold. _'Tell this girl- you- to get us out of here,'_

_That's… not exactly what I created her for. _Rune replied, pointing towards her double's feet. _Look closely, and you'll see her feet can't even touch the ground. She's a projection._

'_Well, great!' _Amari cried sarcastically. _'And how was this supposed to help us escape?'_

_Elementary, my dear Hikari, _Rune replied. Out loud she said to the projection, "I want you to try and locate someone who can help us- preferably someone not wearing a long, purple cloak. And hurry,"

The projection nodded, turning and running through the door as if it were nothing but air. Rune sighed heavily and sat on the edge of the desk, running a hand through her hair. Amari appeared next to her, looking over towards the door doubtfully.

'_Will it work?' _she asked skeptically. Rune shook her head slowly, murmuring, "Who knows? She'll definitely find someone, but it's no guarantee they'll help us. If anything they'll either think she's crazy or notice she's see-through and think her a ghost. Our only actual chance is if someone who knows us or knows about my projection technique comes along,"

'_Is that why you waited so long to use the Sennen Bracelet?' _Amari asked, fresh wave of hopelessness washing over her. Rune felt it as well, and this time she allowed it to sweep her way.

_Yeah,_

"Hello?" came a sudden voice, causing Rune to snap her head up. She stood as the person called out again.

"In here!" she cried, rushing over to the door and pounding on it. Footsteps hurried up the steps, and the door handle jingled. Rune stepped back, giving room for the door to swing open.

"Are you alright?" Ishizu asked, taking a step into the room. Amari was so elated at seeing the Egyptian woman that she forced a switch of places and jumped into her arms.

"Ishizu!" she cried as the older girl patted her head before Amari pulled away, wiping at her sudden tears. "How?" she asked, and Ishizu knew exactly what she meant.

"I was at the museum when a sudden vision of you trapped in here appeared to me. I rushed all around town, using the clues from the vision to figure where you are. When I spotted you in the crowds I at first thought my vision had been false, but then you approached me and I noticed it was a projection. I knew then you were in trouble, and I allowed the fake you to lead me here… how did you figure out how to use the Sennen Bracelet? Only Princess Runhket knew how it worked,"

"She is," Amari relied, brushing her fingers over the Sennen Bracelet just as Rune had done. "She's the one who sent out the projection. I'd pretty much given up when the idea hit her,"

"So, you're saying that you can communicate with the Princess's spirit just as Yugi does with the nameless Pharaoh?" Ishizu asked, astounded. "Interesting,"

Amari nodded, biting her lip as she was reminded of why she'd wanted to escape in the first place.

"Ishizu, do you know what's happened to Yugi? Is he…" her stomach plummeted as she forced the word from her mouth, "dead?"

"No," Ishizu shook her head. "I saw that in my vision, too. The blonde boy was able to rescue him in time," relief washed over Amari at her words, "but to know my brother could go to such lengths just to get what he wants, endangering an innocent's life, and not only that, but Pharaoh's reincarnate!" Amari cringed.

"It's my fault," Amari admitted weakly. "He told me everything, abut what his- your father did to him and how someone… killed him," she shuddered, wringing her hands together. "He told me how he thinks the Pharaoh murdered him, but I wanted to make sure, so I left to talk to Yugi about it. He thinks I betrayed him, so he wanted to punish me by killing Yugi, too," Amari looked up at Ishizu, eyes brimming with guilt. "Ishizu, you don't think the Pharaoh killed your father, do you?"

"No," Ishizu sighed, "I don't, but my fool of a brother will never listen to me… and even if he feels that you did betray him, that's not a way to get someone back for wrongs against him," Amari wiped her eyes again, sniffing softly as she tried to control the emotions raging within her- joy at knowing Yugi lived, the anger she felt at Malik for endangering his life in the first place, the guilt she felt for causing Malik so much pain that he felt the need to go to such extremes-

"Right now we need to get you out of here," Ishizu interrupted her thoughts, taking her hand to lead her from the building. "You can freshen up at my house, and then I'll drive you to the hospital,"

* * *

The woman at the front desk told the two of them where Yugi's room was located, and graciously thanking her they rushed to the room. After going up two flights and walking down a maze of corridors, they finally found his room, the door only slightly ajar. Ishizu told Amari she would wait in the hall before Amari timidly made her way inside.

Propped up by a mountain of pillows, Yugi looked over in surprise to see Amari standing there. Jounochi, Anzu, Aki, and a couple of the others moved away so Amari could sit down on the bed. Crying, she hugged Yugi tightly, not caring if she were making a scene, despite Yugi's light complaining of it.

"I can make-a s-scene if I-I want!" she blubbered, releasing him so she could furiously scrub away a few of the never-ending tears that clouded her vision. "Y-you could've _died._"

"But I didn't, thanks to Jounochi," Yugi pointed out. Jounochi said nothing as Anzu handed Amari a tissue so she could wipe her nose.

Once Amari calmed down the others began filling in certain blanks for her, such as how Jounochi was able to revive Yugi after they believed he'd drowned and how Mokuba insisted Kaiba call a car in to take him to the hospital.

"After all the commotion was over and we were certain Yugi was going to be okay we found the Hunters were gone, along with you," Anzu said, her face apologetic. "We'd figured they'd taken you with them again. We had no idea you were still in the warehouse,"

"Well, everyone is safe now, that's all that matters," Yugi cut in, resting a hand over Amari's.

"How long do they want to keep you here?" she asked.

"Not long, just overnight to make sure there are no side-effects from being dunked into freezing waters," he replied, shrugging as if to say it couldn't be helped.

All of them stayed with Yugi until visiting hours were over, and an irrational fear began to grip Amari, causing her to feel that if she left Yugi now, something might happen to him. She was very reluctant to leave, but Ishizu was able to persuade Amari into letting her drive her home.

"He will be fine, Amari," she assured her as she parked in front of the game shop. "I would have you stay with me tonight to make sure _you're_ alright, but I believe you should be with your grandfather right now," Amari opened the door and waved to Ishizu in farewell before trudging into the game shop, the bell over the door ringing loudly in the dark quiet. Amari went into the backroom that lead to the living areas of the shop, spotting a single light on in the kitchen.

Solomon sat by himself at the counter, an ash tray sitting next to him with a burning cigarette resting in one of the cracks along the side.

"Grandpa?" Amari called, knocking lightly on the wall beside her. At first Solomon went to quickly hide the ash tray and cigarette under the table, but in spotting Amari he placed it back on the table.

"Oh good, it's just you," he chuckled, taking a quick puff of the cigarette before tapping off the residue ash. "It was such a pain when you went missing, having to hide the ash tray whenever Yugi came around looking for me. He'd almost caught me a few times, but I'm still pretty quick in my old age. The only good thing about this situation is that I don't have to bother hiding it from you," Amari took a seat across the table, and almost instantly she and Rune switched places. She held out her hand and Solomon passed her one, sliding the lighter across the table as she reached for it.

"You and I should really work on this quitting business," Solomon told her as Rune lit hers, tapping the pack before taking out another for himself, "but with all the stress the two of you have been putting on me lately, I don't really think quitting is an option for me right now," Rune slid the lighter back across the table, taking a long drag of her cigarette before dumping the remaining ash. She grinned wolfishly at the old man.

"That, and we wouldn't get to enjoy this whole "sneaking around" business we both enjoy so much," she teased. Solomon grunted, and Rune wasn't sure whether it was in amusement or reproach, but she hardly cared.

"Don't forget our philosophical conversations," he replied after a slight moment of silence befell them. Rune snorted.

"I can hardly call the conversations we have 'philosophical', but they sure do solve some problems," Rune chortled. Another spell of silence hovered over them as they sat smoking their cigarettes.

"He's gonna be fine, Gramps," Rune murmured, cutting through the gloom. "The doctors are releasing him tomorrow morning just in case, but there's really nothing wrong with him,"

"I just wish you kids would cut it out with these crazy stunts already and give an old guy a break," Solomon muttered, taking another drag of his cigarette but not bothering to tap off the ash. "One of these days these antics of yours are going to give me a scare I can't recover from by sneaking a few cigarettes. I'm getting old, you know," Rune was quiet as she squashed the butt of her cigarette into the ash tray. Leaning across the table, she grabbed him hand.

"I know, Gramps. I know,"

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Hey guys, just a quick warning- I probably won't be able to get many chapters out for awhile, until I finish this horrific torturing story for my english class. It's dure before school starts, so I have to make that my top priority right now.  
Don't fret too much, though, because I promise to work on this whenever I have free time.**

**-M_q_**

**_ps, if you took a look at my main page recently, you'll see I drew Amari and made her my avi. Hopefully she's at least somewhat similar to what you guys had in mind. o_o_**


	19. Up Up and Away

**Chapter nineteen**-_ Up, Up, and Away_

Four days after Yugi had returned home from the hospital, the semi-finals arrived. With Amari, Yugi, and Jounochi all having the amount of locater cards necessary, the three of them- accompanied by the usual group, minus Aki and Ryou who'd promised to meet up with them later- spared no hesitation in laying out the map given them.

Of course, what it lead them to was a surprise in itself.

"We're dueling on a blimp? Unreal," Jounochi whistled, placing his hands on his hips.

"Kaiba has really outdone himself this time," Amari murmured in agreement, crossing her arms over her chest, "and these are only the semi-finals, aren't they? Can't wait to see what he has planned for the final duels,"

"So, do we just go on?" Anzu spoke up. Spotting a suited man standing at the closed entrance with a stony look on his face, Amari found herself thinking otherwise. Yugi offered to go check with the man in question, leaving the others to talk amongst themselves.

"I wonder if that Namu guy will be here," Anzu pondered aloud, causing Amari to inwardly grimace.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure we'll see him somewhere," she replied uneasily. Anzu grinned, jabbing her lightly in the arm.

"You know, he was kind of cute, and he seemed pretty interested in you, Amari," she teased, giving her a wink.

_Yeah, and if you knew why you'd stop talking to me about it. _She thought back scathingly, but outwardly she offered a half-hearted laugh.

"I'm pretty sure that was just your imagination, Anzu," she replied, glancing over towards Yugi who was already making his way back towards them.

"I don't know," Anzu sung just as Yugi came up on her right.

"It seems we have to wait for the other semi-finalists before we can head inside," Yugi informed the group. "We're the first ones here, according to the security guy, so we have awhile to wait,"

Amari was about to open her mouth to reply when the voice of a woman cut her off.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in," The group turned, and before them stood a blonde woman wearing possibly the slutiest outfit Amari had ever seen worn on a real person. It was like the woman had just walked out of a porn movie.

"Mai, you made it?" Jounochi asked, his voice surprised and even a bit elated. Amari rolled her eyes, suppressing the urge to groan. Boys, so typical.

"Well, of course," she replied, tossing her blond locks behind her left shoulder in order to expose even more cleavage. She turned her sights on Yugi then, something that irritated Amari to no end.

"It's good to see _you've _made it here, Yugi," she purred, making it obvious she didn't much care about the rest of them.

"Ah, well, you too, Mai," Yugi stammered back trying to look everywhere else other than Mai's outfit.

'_Honestly,' _Rune hissed, _'It's women like this who give the rest of us a bad name!'_ Amari found she couldn't agree more, and deciding she couldn't take much more of Mai flirting with her cousin, cleared her throat loudly.

"Oh, right, Mai, this is Amari, my cousin," Yugi introduced her, and Amari offered an unenthusiastic,

"Charmed, I'm sure,"

This caught Mai's attention, and approaching Amari, poised a perfectly manicured finger in her face.

"Hey, weren't you also in Duelist Kingdom?" she asked in a borderline-snide tone of voice. "Didn't you drop out due to the pressure being too great for you or something?" This caused Rune's aura to bristle.

'Please_ let me switch in so I can take care of this bitch,' _Rune begged, her voice dipping into a growl. Amari ignored the spirit's offer- though it was tempting- and merely flashed a faux innocent smile.

"Hey, aren't you the girl Jounochi wiped the floor with in the first few stages of the tournament? You _are_ perfume girl, right? I guessed, because his descriptions of you were dead on," she replied in a fake cheery tone, hints of a sneer weaved in through her last statement.

Mai had obviously caught the hidden meaning in Amari's words, and her mouth gaped open in the resemblance of a dying fish. Amari watched silently as the whorish girl struggled to find enough words to form a good comeback, catching Yugi's eye across from her. He was frowning. Obviously _he_ had caught her hidden meaning as well and wasn't happy with her being so rude. Amari raised her eyebrows at him, stating silently that Mai had started it, causing Yugi to sigh and hurry them all along to a different subject. Rune cackled silently inside her soul chamber.

"So who do you think the first to face each other will be?" he piped up, an automatic response occurring from Jounochi and Anzu. The three of them thought up all sorts of combinations, and eventually Mai put her sudden embarrassment and rage aside to add her input. Amari would have joined them, but she found something much better to do, like go chat with Aki and Ryou, who were both now approaching the group.

"A blimp, wow," Aki said. "You think Kaiba could have spent _any_ more money on this tournament?" Amari grinned.

"That's what _I _said," she replied. "apparently money is no object to the great leader of Kaiba Corp."

"Surprise, surprise," Ryou deadpanned, causing the two girls to glance his way.

"Are you alright, Ryou?" Amari asked. The albino boy rubbed his face wearily, replying with an equally haggard, "Yeah. I just haven't been feeling very well as of late. I don't think I've been sleeping enough," Amari exchanged glances with Aki, a strange heaviness forming in her gut. Anything like this occurring to Ryou was never a good sign. Was Bakura on the move?

"Ryou, your arm," Aki suddenly said, causing Ryou to look down at the growing, red stain under his bandage. If possible the boy turned paler and began to show severe signs of passing out. Aki immediately went to help support him on his good side. Amari bit her lip, looking over her friend helplessly. What exactly had Bakura and Malik done to put Ryou in such bad shape?

She didn't get much of a chance to think on this, because another duelist appeared, or at least to Amari's eyes. The duelist could have been their before them, and only now had Amari noticed her presence.

She was tall and lean, her womanish curves covered by a silky, beige dress. A matching headdress veiled her face, hiding all from view but her lavender eyes. The eyes were familiar as Amari stared into them, as was the mysterious air that surrounded her. She was about to walk over and approach the strange woman, only to have Aki grab her arm. Amari turned towards her, about to speak when Aki's solemn face stopped her short.

"Look," the girl spoke softly, he gaze darting towards where everyone else had arrived from. Amari watched silently as another figure approached, sucking in her breath when she recognized who it was.

Rashid.

The tall Egyptian boy strode past with little more than a glace, approaching the silent guard to check in. He lowered his hood, an intimidating scowl slightly crinkling the hieroglyphics carved into the side of his face.

"Let it be known that Malik Ishtar has arrived," he stated, his voice low and dangerous, like the warning sound of distant thunder. The guard nodded and reported his presence to the higher-ups through his earpiece, and instantaneously the Pharaoh and Yugi switched places. The ancient spirit looked far from happy.

"Malik," he growled, causing Rashid to look his way. Amari placed a hand over her mouth to stifle an unintentional smile. The Pharaoh thought _Rashid_ was Malik? The contrast between the two was so drastic in made her want to laugh.

Still, Amari couldn't blame the Pharaoh for being confused. After all, he'd never actually met Malik face-to-face, save that time a few days ago when he approached them in the guise of Namu. Of course he would think Rashid was Malik.

But if Rashid was here, then where was the _real_ Malik? She doubted he would be too far behind. Lo and behold, the boy in question soon approached, a fierce look on his face. The intensity slowly drained away, however, the closer he approached. Amari knew he was getting ready to act in the 'new friend' role once again, because as he passed her he flashed her a charming smile. She didn't return it, knowing it would only dissolve into a grimace. She wasn't as great at acting as he was.

"Hey, Yugi! Long time no see," he called to the Pharaoh, who was still busy glaring daggers at Rashid. Reluctantly he broke eye-contact with the older, Egyptian boy, forcing a tight smile in Malik's direction.

"Glad to see you made it here alright, Namu," he replied genuinely, outstretching a hand for him to shake. Malik eagerly took it, grasping the other boy's hand tightly- not as tight as he had with Amari, but tight enough to show significant respect. Vaguely, Amari wondered how he could have so much self-control.

"You, too," he laughed, "though I'm not surprised. A duelist as great as you? This tournament must've been a piece of cake," Amari resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Oh please, as if he didn't know how rough this tournament had been for them; he was the main cause of their misfortunes!

As if reading her thoughts, Malik turned her way, his smile turning her blood cold. "It's great to see _you _again, too, Amari," he purred, releasing the Pharaoh's hand but staying where he was. Amari replied with a tight nod, fists balled at her hips. Ryou and Aki shot her curious glances beside her. She had no doubt they would bombard her with questions later, since they hadn't been there to see the original scene between the two of them play out. She watched as Anzu waggled her eyebrows at her from behind the Pharaoh, and this time she didn't bother resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Apparently all of the semi-finalists expected had arrived, because they were then escorted onto the blimp by three more of the silent, menacing guards Kaiba owned. They were lead into a room with an elongated table, and everyone took a seat. Amari thanked her lucky stars when Malik was forced to sit four seats away, rather than sitting beside her. On one side of her sat Ryou, and Anzu flanked her other side.

Two seats to her left sat Rashid, whose expression was curiously blank as he stared off at the far wall. She could feel the malice radiating off of the ancient spirit, who sat next to Anzu, mentally cringing that it had to be directed at Rashid rather than the true culprit. She felt it highly unfair Rashid had to take so much abuse from all sides, though most of that abuse had come from her.

Amari was snapped out of her thoughts when Kaiba entered in through a second door, the usual air of authority hovering in the air around him. He glared down the rows of duelists, all business as he spoke.

"Welcome, worthy contestants, to the semi-finals of my tournament. We will be taking off into the air in about ten minutes, so any of you who get air sick easily, get off now. My staff don't need to clean up after you any more than they already have to," At his words, Ryou shifted nervously in his seat, and Amari grasped his hand in reassurance.

"I would like to explain to you all how the process of 'who duels who' works. I've put each of your names into a database, and two names shall be picked out at random. Whatever two names appear beside each other are who duels for that round. After we lift off we will pick the first two names. Until then, enjoy your meal,"

As soon as the words left his mouth the staff came in holding plates of food. Amari stared down at her plate, widening her eyes in disbelief when she recognized the dish as broiled lobster. She scoffed silently. Rich people.

Kaiba didn't join them for dinner as expected, but instead ate in his private suite at the front of the blimp. This didn't bother Amari much, seeing as dinner was awkward enough as it was. Amari glanced around the table at all the different faces, each one varying with different expressions.

Anzu was constantly looking from between her, to her plate of lobster, to Malik, as if expecting the two of them to be sharing a silent, flirtatious conversation and not wanting to miss any of it. (_"She's starting to annoy me" _Rune had growled, noticing this, before Amari quickly moved onto the next person.)

Ryou seemed to be on the verge of passing out next to her, picking slightly at his plate as beads of sweat rolled down his face. She noticed his arm had started bleeding under the bandage again and nodded to Aki, who immediately went to take him to his room.

Rashid was calm, merely eating his dinner quietly as the Pharaoh continued to silently glower at him across the table. It made Amari want to smack him, but she resisted the urge. Rashid _was_ pretending to play the antagonist, after all.

The mysterious duelist was also quiet, peacefully so, as she sat at the end of the table. The only strange thing about her was that she wasn't eating. Instead she pointed for the waiter to come to her aid and whispered in his ear. The guard nodded and had a waitress cover her plate back up and take it from the room. The woman followed behind gracefully. Amari sighed. Yet another person not joining them at dinner.

Jounochi was completely oblivious to everyone else, digging into his lobster with all the grace of a starved pig placed in front of a compost pile. Next to him Mai grimaced, not at all impressed by his table manners, or lack there of.

Then there was the last duelist, veiled in an air or ferocity, sitting four seats away from her. Amari saved him for last, knowing she would lose her appetite the minute their eyes locked. Slowly she panned the room before slowly focusing on Malik…

He wasn't even looking at her, his face bent as he ate his dinner almost as calmly as his brother was.

What the hell?

Amari stared at him intensely a few minutes longer, hoping it would get him to look up. She might as well have been trying to flip the table over with her mind. Huffing she finally turned away, viciously stabbing at the tender lobster meat to vent her sudden frustration. Why was Malik ignoring her? More importantly, why did she care so much? The later question was what had led to her aggravated stabbings.

Finally, after thoroughly mutilating the poor, expensive lobster, Amari pushed herself away from the table and headed for her assigned room, shooting one last glance in Malik's direction. Still he didn't look up.

Damn.

"_I don't understand why this even bothers you," _Rune said as Amari slid her card key over the automatic lock. The red light turned green, and the doors slid open, Amari stepping inside and instantly throwing herself backwards on the plush, denim-blue couch with a sigh.

_Honestly, I don' even know, _she admitted, uttering another soft, bitter sigh. _Maybe I just secretly hate being ignored._

"_I think it's more than that," _Rune said solemnly, materializing on the bed behind her, arms crossed over her small chest. Amari sat up to arch an eyebrow at her.

"Really," she drawled. Rune nodded seriously.

"_You're dying to make up with him, aren't you?" _the spirit accused, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Amari scoffed rather loudly, though Rune looked far from amused.

"Oh, come on, Rune," Amari defended with a roll of her eyes- something she'd done a lot of tonight. "He locked us up in a compact, spore-infested office for who knows how long before trying and almost succeeding in killing my only other living relative. Six days ago. I don't think I'm ready to reconcile with him just yet,"

"_If that were true, you wouldn't be so bothered with him ignoring you at dinner, would you?"_ Rune shot back. Amari allowed her upper-half to collapse back onto the couch as she groaned. She placed an arm over her eyes to block out the lights in the room, suddenly very tired and wanting a good nap.

"Sometimes you're the biggest pain-in-the-ass, Rune," she mumbled. She could feel Rune's aura prickle as she recognized another victory.

"_I am right, aren't I?" _she demanded, earning yet another instant eye-roll from her Hikari.

_No, but I'm done arguing with you, so believe what you want, _She thought back warily, suddenly too tired to form words. She removed the arm placed over her eyes to stifle an up-coming yawn.

Before she could return her arm to its proper place an announcement came over the intercom for all duelists to rendezvous on the dueling platform. Apparently it was time to pick the first two constants to duel.

Amari let out a string of curses as she reluctant returned her feet to the ground, throwing her jacket back on and grabbing her flip-flops, too lazy to put her actual shoes back on.

She arrived on deck and was instantly greeted by Yugi- who had once again switched places with the Pharaoh's spirit- and the usual gang. She could hear Aki next to her urging Ryou to go back and rest, but the boy refused, despite his girlfriend's increasingly worrisome pleas. Amari couldn't blame Aki for it; Ryo was looking worse by the minute. Amari silently prayed he wouldn't be in the first duel.

Kaiba stood on the raised platform, the obvious place where the duels of the semi-final would take place. Next to him stood Mokuba, whom Amari offered a smile. At first it looked like Mokuba wouldn't respond, but after a few nervous minutes he finally returned the gesture with a short wave. Amari's growing grin was cut off by Kaiba.

"Welcome," he greeted with all the enthusiasm of a slug, giving the duelists gather a curt, business-like nod before turning his attention towards the screen. "We will now pick the firsts duelists," Without anymore introduction than that the screen skittered to life, red letters running across the screen at an alarmingly fast rate. Finally the letters began to slow down enough for them to decipher what the words actually meant. When the letters finally came to a halt Amari's heart skipped a beat. Next to her Aki's face turned an ashen pale as Ryou's labored breathing steadily increased. Without turning, Amari knew that Yugi and the Pharaoh had already switched places.

The first duel in the semi-finals would be Ryou Bakura versus Yugi Motou.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Worst chapter _to date, _definately. And possibly the longest, which made it utter torture for me to write (hense why it took so long for me to pop it out... that's what she said.)**

**Anyways, after typing this I went back to watch the Japanese epi-parallel of this chapter to see if I'd gotten everything. Turns out I change a lot more in the story than I'd wanted to.  
A _lot_ more.**

**Damn you, 4kids for screwing me up so bad. Oh well.  
**

**SHOUTOUT:  
****thanks so much Rugrat247 for the reccomendation of my story for the month. I feel so special now :3 Also, that Malik picture is rockin', even if he does look a bit psychotic... **

**and of course, thanks to the rest of you for putting up with my story, even if it is way off the original story-plot line.  
(the don't call it 'fanfiction' for nothing!)**


	20. Auron

**Chapter Twenty**- _Auron_

"This is awful," Aki mumbled, leaning back and running a hand through her raven curls. "Ryou can barely stand, let alone duel!"

"I know," Amari sighed, sitting across from her as they sat in her room. On the table were mugs of chamomile, cooled and untouched by either of them. Ryou's arm was being rewrapped and treated as they spoke. His duel against Yugi would be in a few hours.

Aki bit her bottom lip. "Maybe, maybe we should convince him to drop out. I mean, he only entered the tournament for kicks anyway, right? His health is more important-"

"I don't think it's that simple, Aki," Amari cut in. "It's obvious his darker half has a plan forming, else Ryou wouldn't have been hurt in the first place. Do you honestly think he'll _let _Ryou quit?" Aki looked over to meet her cool gaze, her face pale.

"No, he won't," she agreed solemnly, biting her lower lip in an effort to keep from crying. Amari stood up straighter, knowing exactly how she felt- as if there was a pressure mounting in her chest, and no amount of screaming or sobbing would release it. She'd had to deal with that same pressure since she realized Malik was their enemy. It had settled in her chest, and she doubted it would ever leave her.

"What should we _do_?" Aki whimpered, turning Amari away from her thoughts with soft tears. "I'm afraid for him, Mar. He isn't looking well at _all_," Amari felt her heart pang as she leaned across the glass table to hold Aki's hand comfortingly. She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat to force out what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"We'll figure out away to keep Ryou safe. I'm sure Yugi will help us as well, so try not to worry about it,"

Despite Amari's words Aki grimaced, chewing viciously on her bottom lip. She wrung her hands nervously, and she was still pale.

"There's something else," she stated weakly, staring at the glare on the glass table. Her voice was subdued, as if speaking loudly would trigger a chain reaction of misfortune to unfold around them. "I don't really know how to explain this, but Ryou seems… darker somehow, like there's some melancholy cloud constantly looming right above his head. He-" she cut herself off to wet her dry lips unhappily, "-he doesn't sleep much anymore, and he's so _quiet_, quieter than normal anyways… It really worries me. It makes me think-" she swallowed past the dryness in her throat, and Amari could see true fear in her friend's eyes, "It makes me think he might be losing to Bakura, and that scares me,"

"Listen," Amari started in a strong voice, though she herself didn't feel that way, "I'll figure out a way to stop Bakura. I'm not really sure _how_ yet, but rest assured I will find a way to help Ryou," Aki sniffled, but she continued to look down at the table.

"Thanks, Amari," she replied, her voice cracking.

Aki left the room soon after that, and Amari found herself with more than enough extra time to kill before the big duel. She decided to spend the majority of that time exploring the blimp. She had already been given the chance to check out most of the guest floors, as well as the dinning halls (yes, as in more than one) and outside deck. She'd tried to get into the control room and private floors to see what Mokuba was up to, but she didn't get too far before a stone-faced guard steered her away and back towards her own room.

Amari sighed, raising her key card towards the electric lock, when a shadow at the end of the hall caught her eye. She turned to face it just as whoever it was slipped into a room further down the hall. Amari's eyes narrowed. All the boys' rooms were stationed at the end of the hall. Amari abandoned her own door, wanting to investigate. If it was Yugi then at least she'd have someone to hang out with before the duel started. If it was someone else…

Well, let's just hope it was Yugi.

Amari approached the end of the hall, curiously staring at each room. The shadow had slipped into one of the doors on her side, meaning half the possibilities were ruled out, including her cousin. Maybe Aki had gone to get something from Ryou's room? She stood in front of his door and knocked. No answer. Okay, so it wasn't Aki. That only left two rooms- Rashid's and Jounochi's. Amari scrunched up her nose. Even if he had saved Yugi's life and was Yugi's best friend, Amari wasn't in much of a mood to deal with Jounochi's wise remarks and cracks at her sanity.

That left one other person's door to knock on. Amari stared up at the metal door, suddenly a bit intimidated. Sure she missed talking to Rashid and all, and yes she owed him more than one apology, but there were so many risks to knocking on his door. For one thing, if anyone spotted her about a million questions would be raised- something she didn't need much of at the moment- and for another, there was a huge possibility of it _not _being Rashid behind that door.

'_Walk away, Hikari,' _Rune warned._ 'Even you said you weren't ready to confront him yet,'_

_I'm going to have to sooner or later, _she replied. _I might as well get it over with…_

Taking a deep breath, Amari raised her fist and knocked on the door three times. At first there was no answer, leaving Amari to wonder if she'd gotten the wrong door after all, but then the door slid open. Amari took a step back, genuinely surprised. Neither boy she was expecting stood in front of her, but instead someone else.

He loomed over her, leaning partially against the doorway as his colorless eyes stared down at her broodingly. His pale mouth was set into a frown as he ran a fluffy, white towel over his equally white hair. Another towel was stationed around his waist, seeming to blend in with his perfectly sculpted chest. He was like a statue depicting a geek god, one who was deeply annoyed.

"What?" he demanded when she didn't speak. Amari picked up her jaw to answer him. She'd meant to say something witty and cute, but all that came out was,

"What are _you _doing here?"

Auron snorted, throwing the towel in his hair over his shoulder.

"I came to assist my master," he replied, "not that it matters much to you. What do you want?"

Amari frowned, unhappy with his rudeness, but she decided not to let it bother her too much. She had kicked him in the shin, after all.

"I was looking for Rashid. Is he in?" Auron shot her a look that questioned her ability to think.

"If he was, do you think I would have used his shower?"

Oh, right. Those who weren't on the blimp to duel were to share rooms. Anzu, Aki, and Shizuka all shared a room together. Vaguely she wondered who Auron bunked with. But if he had his own room, then why would he need Rashid's shower?

"Are you a stow-away?" she asked incredulously, eyes wide. Auron grimaced. "You are, aren't you?" Slowly a grin crept onto her face. "Oh, this is too good. Does Malik even know you're here?"

"Yes!" he snapped. "Of course he knows I'm here! I wouldn't be here if he hadn't requested me to be,"

"But then why not announce you as Rashid's guest?" She asked. Auron shook his head.

"You are an idiot," he stated bluntly. "Kaiba doesn't like Hunters, since we've wreaked so much havoc on his tournament. Do you honestly believe he would let one of us into his semi-finals?"

"Malik was allowed," Amari replied.

"That's different. Master Malik needs to be here. It's his destiny,"

This time it was Amari who snorted, and she rolled her eyes.

"Last time I checked, Kaiba wasn't one who was too big on the whole 'destiny' thing," She told him, making air quotations around "destiny". Auron pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Whatever. Will you go away now? Rashid isn't here, and the more I stand here talking to you the more brain cells I feel myself losing," He waved her away with his other hand, ready to slide the door back into place.

Amari narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms.

"Fine," she snapped. "I'm sure Kaiba would appreciate knowing that you've decided to grace our presence illegally," Auron glowered at her, and Amari stared him down, waiting for him to take the bait. Finally he cussed and stepped aside so she could get by. "Thank you," she told him curtly as she walked over towards the couch. She heard as the door slid into place, and Auron made his way past her towards the adjoined bathroom. "Where are you going?"

Auron turned, obviously irritated. "If you're gonna be here awhile I might as well finish changing, and as much as you might be enjoying the view, it's freezing in here," He pointed to the towel still secured tightly around his waist, and Amari instantly started to blush. She'd been so intent on getting information out of him she'd forgotten that he was almost naked.

"Whatever," she replied, embarrassed, and Auron relished in her obvious discomfort for a moment or two before disappearing behind the bathroom door.

Amari fidgeted on the couch, hands balled in her lap as she waited silently for Auron to return- hopefully fully clothed. Of course _he_ would have to be here, seeing as he was something along the lines of Rashid's lieutenant or assistant or whatever. They'd met in fleeting moments more than once when she lived aboard the yacht, none of them being very pleasant. She'd always had a feeling that Auron didn't like her.

Why, though, she wasn't sure.

Auron re-entered the room, his black attire contrasting his marble skin perfectly. Another flush creeped onto her cheeks as Amari couldn't help but admire his charms. He was a very pretty human being. He sat down on the couch across from her, a pale eyebrow raised as he put his feet up on the glass coffee table.

"So what exactly do you want with Rashid?" he asked, his tone more snide than sincere. Amari fidgeted, tempted to snap and say it was none of his business, but his hot appearance was really messing with the wires in her brain. Instead she blushed deeper and forced herself to look into her lap.

"Just to talk," she mumbled. "He's a friend, after all, a good friend-"

"_Friend?" _Auron cut her off, cocking his head to the side in a condescending manner. "Please. Rashid's just been following Master Malik's orders, like we all have. He was never your friend," Amari looked up, her face no longer hot with embarrassment but with anger.

"Yes he is," she snapped. "I've known him since I was a kid- _both _of them- so don't tell me that I was never their friend,"

"Yeah?" Auron sneered, unruffled by her tone. "Well, _he_ don't seem to like you much right now. You're nothing but a tool, a pawn used in order to help Master Malik achieve his ultimate goal… I doubt either of them would care even if you were suddenly gone from the picture,"

Amari grimaced, knowing exactly which 'he' he was talking about.

"If you really think that then why did you let me in?" she retorted. "Why don't you just get rid of me, then?"

Auron paused, and Amari's heart skipped a beat as she noticed something strange flicker in his colorless eyes.

"You know," he stated slowly and he took his feet off the table, "that's not such a bad idea,"

Before Amari even had a chance to take another breath, Auron was upon her, his nails digging painfully into her collar bone as he pushed her up against the couch. Amari gasped as pain shot up and down her left arm, only to stop breathing when she felt cool metal against the other side of her neck. Auron's breath tickled her face as he leaned in close to whisper menacingly,

"I could do it. I could end your life right here and now, and no one would even know. I could clean up the mess quicker than you could think possible and make your death appear like an accident," He dug his nails father into her skin, and Amari fought not to cry out. She hissed through the sudden pain as he pressed the knife harder against her skin. If she moved- at all- it would cut deep enough to make her bleed.

"Why?" she rasped in a small voice, trying her best to stay still as a mounting panic welled in her chest. "Why do you hate me so much? What did I do?"

"You're an eyesore," he replied. "You're useless and a nuisance. All you ever manage to do is mess up the plan my master has worked so to accomplish, and you don't even seem to care. You call yourself his friend, but all you manage to do is cause trouble and hurt him further,"

Amari was so shocked by Auron's words that she literally froze. He was right. This was exactly what she'd been telling herself all along. Tears welled up in Amari's eyes as she realized how much it hurt to have her own feelings confirmed.

"You're right,"

Auron had to admit it, it was weird seeing her reaction to what he'd said. Sure Auron had been expecting her to cry, but he'd also expected her to get angry, to fight back and disagree that she was hurting the master in any way, that she was too good and too much his "friend" to ever hurt him on purpose. What Auron _hadn't_ been expecting was for her to agree with him.

Auron slowly released his grip on her, sheathing his knife and settling onto the edge of the coffee table, his face registering mild shock. As soon as she was free Amari curled in onto herself, her body shaking with stifled sobs. Auron watched her for a few moments in uncomfortable silence, quite unsure of what to do.

Amari continued to cry passionately, as if Auron wasn't even in the room, her head buried into her knees.

"Ever since we've found each other all I've done is cause him pain! Its always been one thing after the other," came her muffled voice, thick with tears of guilt and remorse. "I'm a terrible friend! I suck!" She lifted her head up to look at Auron, who inched back some when he saw the state she was in.

"Well, at least now you and I are on the same page," he replied dumbly, struggling for something else to say. God this was so awkward. Worse yet, it was his fault.

Amari blubbered something unintelligible as she crushed her palms against her eyes, attempting to wipe away her tears. It took Auron a minute to realize she was laughing. He wasn't sure whether to be angry or to just feel more awkward. He decided to hand her a tissue.

"Thanks," she hiccupped, blowing her nose unhappily.

"What the hell?" Auron suddenly asked, causing her to fully look at him. Her face grew hot.

"Hey, I might be a huge mess, but I'm still a girl," she snapped, causing Auron to wave his hands to get her to shut up.

"No, not your appearance- I could care less about your looks. I meant what the hell are you doing with my master when you already know you're nothing but a bother? Do you want him to fail or something? Is that it? What the hell?" he repeated, this time with more force behind it as he stood up, anger beginning to crackle under the surface. Amari flinched as he towered over her, a bit fearful that he was going to take the knife out again and follow through with his threat.

"N-no!" she quickly stammered, only to backtrack. "Well, yes, kind of, I mean- I don't want him to kill my cousin, alright? I get the whole revenge thing and wanting to avenge his father by killing his murderer, but it isn't fair that Yugi has to be caught up in the middle. It isn't fair that I have to choose between my only remaining family and my best friend," Unflinching, she stared him in his colorless eyes. "If _you_ had to chose between helping Malik and killing your sister, what would you do?"

If it were possible, Auron grew paler. "Don't you dare bring my sister into this," he growled darkly. "Our situation is different,"

"How would it be different?" Amari demanded. "Asking you to kill Shanti for Malik's benefit is exactly what's being asked of me with my cousin. You wouldn't murder your sister, and I can't stand by and watch Malik murder Yugi. It's physically impossible,"

Though Auron hated to admit it, Amari was right. Though he would be loyal to Master Malik unto death, there was no way possible he could stand by and watch Shanti be killed. She was his sister, his only sister and only family that would still consider even speaking to him. He loved her.

Letting out an agitated half sigh, half groan, Auron sat back down on the opposite couch. Amari watched his silently, already aware of the change in him. At least now he wouldn't think of stashing her body in a utility closet somewhere. Relaxing, she released her legs and leaned back on the couch.

A monotonous, stony-like voice crackled over the intercom, announcing the beginning to the next duel. Amari sighed, sitting up and wiping away her remaining tears.

"I'll go now," she told Auron hoarsely, standing and heading towards the door.

"Wipe your face before you go into public," Auron muttered after her. "You look like a disgrace," Though his comment was a definite dis, Amari couldn't help but feel her heart lift a bit.

"Thanks you deciding not to cut my throat, Auron," she said, opening the door. Auron let out a grunt, waving her away.

"I can always change my mind, so hurry up and leave. You're annoying," Amari shut the door, smiling to herself. As she caught a glimpse of his face, she was certain she'd seen the tiniest lift in the corner of his mouth.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Gosh, this really took a lot of time to get up! Three months? Almost four?  
And to think, this chapter was actually quite fun to write.  
I weep to see how lazy I've become.**

**My greatest appologies, you guys, for getting this out so late. I hate being an "adult". It sucks. I have too much to do now.  
And just think, college just a few short seasons away....**

**damn.**

**Mery Christmas!**

**-M_q_**


	21. IMPORTANT NOTICE

Hey guys,

I know it's been a very very long time since my last update to LOT. I want to apologise to all of you and give you what I hope is a reasonable explanation.

My original plan was to write a bunch of chapters and put them up here in bulk (I really wanted to get to the awesome parts of this story, and I figured this was the fastest way.)  
But about a month ago my computer was infected with a nasty virus that wiped out my entire hard-drive. I lost everything from unfinished chapters to my senior project (due May 1st, by the way) I've done my best in trying to recover the lost data, but so far there's been no dice.

Needless to say I'm devastated over this, so much so that I've lost any real desire to write.  
But! I do still plan to write the rest of LOT, as well as the other works I have here on FF. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get them on here, but in the meantime I'll continue to try to find the chapters I've lost.

I love and miss you all. Thank you so much for your continued support.

-M_q_


	22. Beginning of the End

**Chapter Twenty-One;** _Beginning of the End_

Amari cringed, and the disheveled girl in front of her did the same. She looked- in every definition of the word- a mess, like she'd faced a bulldozer and lost. Whatever bit of mascara she'd had on was now treading faded, black trails down her cheeks. Hardly hidden beneath the wreckage the rest of her face was bizarrely hot, flames under her skin showing easily in random spots along her nose and cheeks. Then there were her eyes. There was absolutely nothing she could do to cover up the obvious fact she had been crying. Though they weren't bloodshot, they were much too bright to be considered normal. Yugi would definitely notice.  
Amari sighed, scrubbing furiously to remove the black lines and even out the red. Perhaps if she stayed on the edge of the crowd and snuck away as soon as the battle was over, she could get away with looking like crap. It shouldn't be too hard of a task to accomplish. After all, the duel had started fifteen minutes ago.

"_I could always go in your place_," Rune interjected as Amari made her way to the upper levels of the blimp.

_Then they'll know for certain something's wrong._ Amari replied, stepping through to the open air as the automatic doors slid open._ It's better this way. More inconspicuous. _She ignored the other spirit as Rune uttered a sigh, joining Aki at the edge of the platform. She looked beside herself, fists clutched together so tightly her knuckles were white. Her dark eyes looked fierce as she stared up at the dueling men, but the sweat trickling down her neck showed her true discomfort. Amari followed her gaze up the platform, surprised to see Ryou in control of his body. He wasn't looking very well, hunched over and gasping for breath. The bandage on his arm was soaked red. He looked like he might vomit or faint, or both.

"Stay where you are, duelist!" cried the scorekeeper suddenly. "If you abandon your platform then you forfeit the duel!" Amari turned her attention to where her cousin stood. The Pharaoh looked distraught, his eyes trained solely on the injured boy across from him. It was obvious to everyone he was using all his might to stay rooted to his place and not run across the field to aid his friend. Amari cringed. She knew exactly how he felt.

_This shouldn't be allowed._ She thought scathingly, fists clenching. _Ryou can barely stand! This is inhumane. _

"It's awful." Aki said beside her in a small, broken voice. "He can't duel anymore. Just look at him!" Amari put a hand on her shoulder, could feel her shaking as she fought back her own urges to run and save the frail boy. "Even the Pharaoh is afraid to react! He's so weak right now; the sensors could seriously injure him."

"I know that, but they can't stop the duel," Amari murmured back in reply, though the low anger underneath her words showed she wished they would. Ryou was so weak he could hardly stand, let alone counterattack. The Pharaoh couldn't attack for fear of seriously injuring Ryou, but he couldn't quit the duel without giving up the entire tournament. It was a stalemate.

"He should have stayed out for all of it." Aki muttered angrily. Amari gave her a questioning look.

"Who?" she asked. Aki pursed her lips.

"Who else? Bakura."

Of course. All at once things clicked into place for Amari. The meeting in the alleyway, the strange behavior from Ryou, it all made sense to her now. This scenario had to have been planned. Automatically she began scanning the crowd for that familiar face, and before long spotted him. Malik was hanging at the back of the crowd, his eyes lit up in obviously glee. To put it in cliché words, he looked like a kid at Christmas. Her suspicions were all confirmed by that simple look of excitement on his face.

Amari forced herself to stay where she was rather than go with her gut instinct in waltzing over and punching him square in the mouth. She should have known he would be behind this. She wasn't sure how he'd done it, but Malik had definitely struck some sort of deal with the evil spirit residing in Ryou. It was obvious to her now that Malik would go to any limits to see his revenge acted out, even if that meant putting innocent people- like Ryou- at risk.

"_This is going too far."_ Rune seethed. _"He looks like Death up there."_

A sudden, manic laugh sputtered from the dueling platform, causing Amari to turn her attention away from Malik and back towards the two battling teens. Bakura was in control again, taunting the Pharaoh and egging him to finish the duel. Seeing Ryou was no longer in danger, the Pharaoh commenced with the final blow, blasting away the rest of Ryou's life points and ending the duel with a victory. Everyone began to cheer, save for the two girls clasped together towards the front of the crowd. As soon as the smoke cleared Aki rushed forward, calling out Ryou's name as the boy collapsed. Amari watched as medics immediately began to inspect the unconscious Ryou, push Aki out of the way so they could work. By the panicked look on her face Amari had to guess it wasn't looking good.

Malik slipped out through the sliding doors, and Amari watched him go with bile rising in her throat. She clenched her fists tightly, a growl escaping her lips. He wasn't getting away that easily. Without a word to anyone Amari followed Malik back inside the blimp, sneaking behind him silently until they reached the living quarters. As Malik held up his electric key to his door, Amari called out to him. He paused, the door light flashing green, but he didn't go in. His stare was flat and stony, the harsh coldness of it chilling her insides.

"_No, you're angry at him. Turn that anger into courage and confront him with it."_Rune whispered, filling her with confidence. Amari took a deep breath and stepped forward, grasping his upper arm.

"We need to talk," she told him, her voice solid and strong. He pulled away from her roughly, gnashing his teeth.

"We have nothing to talk about," he answered harshly, placing his key back up to the lock as the button returned to its original red. Amari glared up at him, all her anger from the last few days piling up and boiling over until she felt she couldn't take it anymore. With nothing but pure anger fueling her, Amari planted her feet on the floor and pushed. She pushed with all the strength she had, causing Malik to stumble over until he was forced to catch himself on the opposite wall.

"How dare you!" she cried. "You pull these schemes, not caring whose life is at stake, yet you tell me we have nothing to talk about? Can't you see the damage you've caused through this pointless quest? How many more people must you trample underfoot before your thirst for revenge is satisfied? How many more innocent people must suffer until you're ready to walk away?"

At first, the only thing Malik could register was shock; but soon that shock began to fade, her words sinking in until all that was left were simple facts. Amari had pushed him, using all she had to do it, most likely. She was unbelievably angry at him. But probably the mot important fact of all was the last one to run through his mind.

She'd called his avenging his father's death "pointless".

A heavy shadow swept through the corners of Malik's mind, clouding everything he saw in a dark light. He felt so much malice, so much rage that he was beyond shaking limbs or seeing red.

He was seeing black.

Amari could see the change in Malik as easily as if a light switch had been flicked on in a windowless room. She took a step away from him as he straightened himself, pushing off the wall. She didn't even have to look in his eyes to see that he was angry, murderously so. This feeling was worse than when he had confronted her in the warehouse. He would certainly kill her this time, and she wouldn't be surprised if he used his bare hands to do so. Automatically her hands flew up to her neck. He reached for her.

"Out of the way!"

Malik moved back towards the wall just as a few EMTs barreled past, rolling an unconscious Ryou between them. Amari caught a glimpse of the boy as they went by, paling at what she saw. He had an oxygen mask strapped to his face, constantly fogged by his labored breathing. His arm was bleeding profusely, sogging the bandage tied to his arm until it stained the white stretcher beneath him. He was no longer just pale, but ashen. Amari hardly dared to breathe as she watched them careen around the corner and out of sight, her eyes brimming with tears. She refocused on Malik, her fear forgotten as the lasting image of Ryou filled her mind. She pointed a finger down the hall, where they disappeared.

"_That _is the misery you've caused," she spat venomously. "I hope you're happy," Turning her back on him, Amari stomped her way after Ryou. Malik's hand sprang out to grasp her arm, as she had done, but she moved out of his reach. "Don't touch me!" she snarled, no longer able to hold back her tears. She hurried away without another word.

Malik watched her go, unable to do anything else as his mind rebooted. How was it that _she _could be so upset with him, when all she had done was send him misery? Even before her huge betrayal she'd done nothing but given him grief, always running away or getting- not only her but Malik himself- into numerous amounts of unwanted trouble. It was like she'd been out to sabotage him from the beginning.

As he thought, Malik found himself mobile enough to unlock his door for the third time and step in for the first. Within seconds of the doors closing he found himself in a destructive mood: kicking over chairs, throwing paperweights at the far walls, crashing lamps on the floor. How dare _he_? How dare her! _He_ wasn't the one who gave her false hope. _He_ wasn't the one who batted his eyelashes and made the world feel warm again before ripping it all viciously away. _She_ was the betrayer. Not him. All he had ever done was respond to her cruelty with more cruelty.

_An eye for an eye._He thought darkly as he continued his rampage on the bedcovers_. I should have stuck with my original plan and kept her prisoner: just her, locked away in a windowless room with no contact from anyone, isolated and out of sight_. Just the thought of Amari being stuck in a dark room, curled up into herself as she cried bitter tears of loneliness made his heart fill with glee. A smile curled the corners of his mouth.

"Is the duel over already?" Malik turned to see his head Hunter standing in the doorway, arms folded over his chest in a lazy fashion.

"What the hell do you want?" Malik snapped, in no mood to deal with Auron's sarcasm. "Aren't you supposed to be hiding out in Rashid's room? Go back before someone sees you." Auron waved him off as if he were an equal rather than a subordinate, going to sit on the currently mutilated couch. He propped his feet up on the edge of the smashed coffee table.

"So what happened? I'm guessing by your… extracurricular activity that things didn't go according to plan." He questioned with a tilt of his head. Malik grimaced, adding the bad taste of annoyance to his already burning mouth. No, things had not gone according to plan where the first duel was concerned. Things had been going perfect, up until Bakura cracked and possessed the weaker boy, causing all of their work to erode away into nothing. He had already been aggravated by that when Amari had approached him, but after their one-sided "chat" the entire thing had slipped his mind.  
Until now, at least.

"No," he growled, chucking a pillow at the other boy, who caught it neatly and with ease.

"Temper, My Lord." Auron tsked, tucking the pillow comfortably beneath him before placing his hands behind his head. "How are you to fulfill your plot if you do not keep a cool head?"

"I don't need to hear that from you," Malik snapped. "Now get out of my sight before I decide to mind swipe you. Or worse." Auron shrugged his shoulders as if Malik's threat held no value, but he stood up. Heading for the door, he paused.

"Was it that girl again?" he asked suddenly, his voice dropping into a serious and dangerous tone. Malik grimaced, fighting down the bile rising in his throat. Just the mention of Amari made him sick to the pit of his stomach, but what was worse was that Auron knew how much she affected him.

"Get. Out," he seethed venomously, his eyes wild with a fury Auron knew not to question. He bowed low to Malik in a fluid motion, all traces of sarcasm gone.

"Master." He murmured in a respectful farewell, the click of the door shutting behind him shortly followed by more crashing sounds. Auron headed down the hall, back towards Rashid's room. He rubbed his temples wearily.

"Little fool," he mumbled. "What have you done to my Master now?"

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**After forever and a year I've finally updated this story. I still haven't been able to recover my lost chapters (I redid my senior project from scratch. F.U.N.) so I've given up on the search and have started rewriting the pieces I've lost. It's a slow, agonizing process (since no one likes to write things over twice unless provoked) but as you can see, I'm trucking along.**  
**As I told you all before, I have no idea when my next chapter will be up, but I've definitely not abandoned this story, nor the others I've started on this site. **  
**I love you all. Thank you so much for your continued support.**  
**Forever and Always.**

**-M_q_**


	23. Ice Buckets

**Chapter Twenty-Two**; _Ice Buckets_

Amari stood in the corner of the enclosed room, her back against the wall as she watched the others crowd over the unconscious boy. Her heart broke for Aki, watching as her friend knelt over the boy she loved and whispered fervently for him to wake up.

_I'm sorry, Aki_. Amari thought, fighting back a fresh wave of tears._ I'm sorry I got you two involved in this._

"_It was _him_ who got Ryou involved, Hikari. Not you." _Rune interjected angrily. _"Him and that good-for-nothing thief. This was in no way your doing."_ Amari shook her head slowly, not worried anyone would notice her.

_He wouldn't have gone this far if they weren't my friends-_ Amari was cut away from her depressed thoughts by a hand gently resting on her elbow. She looked over to see Yugi staring soulfully up at her. He knew she felt guilty.

He just didn't know why.

Amari blanched and turned quickly away from him, but he took her hand to lead her towards the rest of the group.

"We should get Kaiba to land the blimp." He spoke up, glancing worriedly down at Ryou. "Even with the medics on board, he's still in critical condition. He needs a hospital." Amari squeezed his hand while the others nodded in somber agreement.

"I'm going to stay here," Aki said quietly. She was no longer crying, but she refused to look away from the boy lying on the bed.

"I'll stay with her," Anzu piped up, stepping forward to lightly pat Aki on the shoulder. Aki turned to look Amari's way, her eyes watered and pleading. It was obvious who she really wanted to stay with her.

"I'll stay too," Amari said, letting go of her cousin's hand to sit at the edge of the bed. Yugi nodded, leading the rest of the group out of Ryou's room and into the hall.

The doors slid back into place, and the three girls were enveloped in silence. Amari watched Ryou's chest rise and fall in false sereneness. The sedation medicine the EMTs had given him had calmed him, smoothing out the crinkles on his forehead and giving off the illusion he was merely asleep. She would have believed it if the oxygen mask wasn't still in place.

"Attention duelists," Yawned a voice over the intercom system. "We will now have a twenty minute break. Once those twenty minutes are finished, report to the dueling arena for the next battle," Amari heaved a sigh, running a hand through her tangled mess of dark hair. The semi-finals had just begun, yet already she was exhausted.

"Hey, you know, it'd probably be smart to prepare for the next duel," Anzu suggested a bit more enthusiastically than completely necessary. "You never know, but it could be you up there next." Amari knew Anzu was only trying to sound helpful with her remarks but she was becoming rather annoyed with the overoptimistic brunette.

"Yeah well, I could care less at this point whether I win or lose. It's not like I'm going to be kicked off the blimp." She retorted. Aki turned in her direction, but she said nothing. Anzu shrugged before putting a hand under her chin, pondering.

"Then how about touching up your makeup a bit? You never know who might be facing you on the other end of the field." At this Anzu waggled her eyebrows, giving off the clear hint she was speaking about 'Namu'. "Girls should always look their best, don't you think?" She suddenly gasped, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Oh! I have this really cute jacket you can borrow! And I bought this new eye shadow that would go perfect with your shit. And-"

"Enough!" Amari shouted, fed up with the girl's nonstop rambling. "I already told you I don't care! This isn't some stupid date! It's a duel. I don't care that I might be up next to compete. I don't care that I look horrible and that I have smudged mascara or rubbed off eye shadow. Just leave me the hell alone already!" She stood up, stomping towards the door. She turned back towards Aki, who was starting to stand up. "I'm sorry, Aki," she said sincerely. "I just need to go calm my nerves for a bit. I'll be back when I calm down." With one last glare in Anzu's direction, Amari walked out the sliding doors. Anzu cringed, turning towards Aki with a hurtful expression.

"What did I say?" she asked the other girl meekly. Aki stared at the empty doorway a minute before turning her attention back to Ryou.

"She's just stressed out." she replied haggardly. "Just let her cool down. She'll come back." But even as she said this Aki wondered just what else was going through Amari's mind that she would explode like that.

Amari wiped her eyes furiously as she hurried down the hall, though no tears fell from her eyes. Twenty minutes was what the man on the intercom had given them. She planned to use that time wisely and take the nap she'd missed earlier. Before she could make it to her room, though, Yugi was exiting his.

"Hey Mar." he called out to her, heading her way. Amari stopped hesitantly, wary that he was going to confront her on her weird, guilt-like behavior. She decided to try masking her discomfort with fake normalcy.

"What's up, Cus?" she asked. Yugi gazed at her strangely, but he gave up on the question before even forming it with a shake of his head.

"Mar, can I speak with you for a minute?" he asked, his voice sounding much older than his years. Amari paused.

"Sure," she answered slowly. "What about?" Yugi rubbed his face warily, once again taking her hand and leading her back into his room.

"I'm not really sure were I should start, but you're the only person I could think to tell who'd actually understand what I'm saying." He admitted. Instead of relaxing, Amari felt more on guard. The door closed shut behind them.

Malik closed his eyes against the harsh ceiling light above him. He was currently resting in Rashid's room, seeing as his was now a train wreck. When questioned about the utter destruction to the borrowed furniture, Malik had once again feigned innocence and had blamed the whole thing on a non-existent robber.

At least now if Auron was discovered, he would have a scapegoat.

The boy in question was currently sneaking around the blimp on Malik's orders, gathering as much information he could about the other God Cards on board. Rashid was wandering somewhere, knowing Malik would rather much be alone in his thoughts. Malik crushed his palms into his eye sockets.

Why couldn't he get her out of his head? Her words kept haunting him, and not just the ones about his father. It was no lie he had caused many people to hurt while on this crusade of justice, but they had been necessary sacrifices. He hadn't let that bother him up until now… up until he saw her tears, how violently she'd pulled away from him.

_I don't care. _He told himself resolutely. _She deserves whatever pain I deal her. What had been done to that boy is nothing compared to the hell I've been through…_ Yet her accusations still prodded him.

"I need a drink," he muttered. Malik stood up from the couch, waltzing over to a cabinet stationed on the other end of the room. He got himself a small glass before digging to find his liquor of choice. Leave it to Kaiba to have alcohol on board a blimp where minors resided. Not that it would matter much to him if they were all smashed. It wouldn't be too hard to shut the lot of them up if something unsightly happened. He certainly had the money to do it.

_You'd think the man would be kind enough to offer up some wine with the rest of the illegal substances. _Malik thought as he poured himself a glass of amber liquid. _Cheap bastard._

As Malik stirred his drink a gravely voice droned over the intercom, announcing a twenty minute break before the next contestants were decided. Malik took a sip of his drink, grimacing as he found it stronger than he'd anticipated. He decided to get more ice.

But as he looked in the mini fridge he found his ice bucket, for the most part, empty.

"Damn," he cussed under his breath, grabbing the bucket and heading for the door. Now he would have to run the risk of running into another duelist on his way to the kitchen.

Amari walked forth from Yugi's room with a heavy feeling in her gut. Their conversation was not sitting well with her at all. Yugi had told her about the visit Shadi had paid him, about what he'd told him about the God Cards and their owners._ "He told me that the God Cards, plus the Sennen items were the keys to unlocking the Pharaoh's memories," He'd told her soberly. "Thing is, though, the cards and items all have specific masters,"_ This news hadn't disturbed her, but it was certainly mindboggling. To think all the pieces needed to solve the riddle to the Pharaoh's past where _here_. Or most of them, anyway.

_If that's not fate, nothing is_. Amari mused with a grunt.

_"What bothers me is that whole business with the 'masters',"_ Rune thought, scowling. _"If someone other that the rightful owner tries to use one of the God Cards or Sennen items, then they must suffer "God's Wrath". I don't like it. It sounds too foreboding,"_ Amari didn't want to, but she felt she agreed with her counterpart. No doubt the next duel Mali would be involved with would deal with one of the legendary cards, but who would be using it?

As Amari was locked away in her thoughts, she didn't notice the person approaching from the opposite way. After colliding with the other duelist, Amari found herself with a throbbing forehead and her ears filled with the sound of bouncing metal.

"Argh! Sorr-" Amari froze in place as she saw who exactly she'd run into. Malik stared after the ice bucket that had been knocked out of his hands by the very person he'd wanted to avoid thinking about, the metal cylinder stopping to rest at the girl's foot. He followed her foot back to the rest of her, and for a moment his heart lifted.  
She looked absolutely terrified.

She didn't say anything as they stared at one another. Hell, she hardly moved. Malik was happy to know she was scared stiff.

_Good. Let her be afraid. Let her know how unforgiving and cruel I can be_. He thought darkly, a wicked smile reflecting his thoughts. She paled.

Malik pointed to the ground, his eyes locked domineeringly with hers.

"Pick it up."

It took Amari a moment to register past the initial panic of running into Malik what he'd said. Slowly she followed his finger back to the metal bucket resting at her feet. Her eyes snapped back up to his, and she found it hard to look away from them again. His eyes were so cold, at the same time holding something in them that she did not care to see. Flashes of something wicked flickered within them. Something dark. Amari felt a chill run up her spine.

"Well?" Malik questioned harshly, cocking his head to the side. "You knocked it from me, pick it up." He continued watching her every move as she bent down to retrieve the pail. Hesitantly she held it out for him to take. Malik scoffed. "Like I can reach it from that far away?" he sneered. "Bring it closer,"

Amari fought with herself not to drop the bucket and run in the other direction. Confronting Malik felt scarier than facing Goliath with a slingshot, possibly because she knew what he was capable of. On shaky limbs Amari forced herself to take a step forward and another until she was close enough to Malik to touch him. Again she handed out the bucket to him.

Malik slowly clutched the other end of the ice pail, his eyes still locked on hers mercilessly. He pulled the bucket out of her grasp almost gently, but before Amari could relax and step back his other hand shot out to latch onto her arm. Amari fully released the pail, letting out a tiny cry of pain as Malik dug his fingers into the soft part of her arm. Her knees began to buckle and on instinct grabbed his shoulder in order to stay upright. He held her in a sort of embrace, but it was far from a kind one. His face was inches from hers, his eyes boring into hers where she could clearly see the darkness swirling in his lavender irises. She caught the faint smell of alcohol on his breath. If she wasn't so afraid she might have been disappointed to know he had been drinking.

_Yes, you have her!_ Cried something within Malik in utter glee. _Now you can punish her. Do whatever you can to harm her. Hurt her like she hurt you. _

"Malik, stop," Amari pleaded weakly as he clutched her arm tighter. "It'll bruise. Please, stop." Malik merely grinned as she struggled against him, delighted as she writhed and gasped in pain.

"What's going on?"

Malik grimaced, turning to see Yugi staring curiously at the pair. Cussing profusely in his head, Malik automatically put on the guise of Namu, offering a completely fake cheerful smile.

"I was coming the opposite way when Amari suddenly didn't look well. She started to collapse when I caught her." He replied, playing his role as the concerned bystander perfectly. He turned in her direction, offering her a sinister smile. "But she's fine now, right Amari?"

Amari struggled to find words as Malik's grip finally began to slacken. She attempted to pull her arm away, but that only caused him to hold on tightly again.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine now," she stuttered out, causing Yugi to shoot her a concerned look.

"Well, if you're sure," he replied skeptically. "The next round should be starting soon. Why don't we all walk down together?"

"Nah," Malik replied. "I left my deck back in my room. I'll just meet you guys there," Yugi smiled.

_Fool_. Malik mentally spat, finally releasing his hold on Amari. Immediately she scrambled away from him, her eyes wide as she fought with herself not to clutch the place he had held her. He smirked at her.

"Make sure to save me a good spot, Amari," he told her, the malice in his voice barely notable. He could tell she caught it, though, because her face immediately paled. It was refreshing to see how frightened she'd become of him.

_Where's all that anger at now, Amari?_ He asked rhetorically in his mind, watching them walk down the hall together and away from him.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**As you can tell by my semi-long chapters and short time between them, I've really missed writing this story. **  
**My favorite parts are up next! Yay! Hopefully they'll become your favorite parts, too.**  
**I'm a little upset by how rabbit-like Amari becomes in this chapter, at least from Malik's PoV.**

**But an angry Malik= a sexy Malik, so it all woks out hunkydory. **

**Enjoy, duckies!**

**-M_q_**


	24. Fall Inside the Black

**Chapter Twenty-Three**;_ Fall Inside the Black_

Amari's arm throbbed, but she forced herself not to rub it. Doing that would only tip off to Yugi that Malik had hurt her, though she knew the bruises that were forming would do that work for her in the near future.

_I don't remember packing any long-sleeved shirts._ She thought glumly. Rune's aura was prickling with absolute rage.

"_Why wouldn't you let me take control_?" she demanded_. "I could have easily stopped him from marking your body!" _

Amari didn't answer her, causing the spirit to become even angrier. The truth was, Amari hardly knew that answer herself. When Malik had grabbed her, Rune had immediately begun the process of possessing her. Amari had stopped her almost as immediately. Maybe it had been fear, but Amari felt in her gut somewhere that it was much more than that.

Yugi led her out onto the open arena, joining Jounochi and the others at the naming slot machine. Amari hung back where she was, on the lookout for the boy who had just left them. It wasn't long until he was also among the crowd, and to her horror he met her gaze across the heads of the other duelists. She immediately looked away.

The machine whirred to life, red letters passing by in a blur. After a few seconds the letters began to wind down and form words. Two names jumped out at them:

Katsuya Jonouchi versus Malik Ishtar

Jounochi fist pumped the air, not at all perturbed to see that he would be facing their archenemy in battle. Amari ignored him as he began hollering arrogant remarks about how he'd wipe the floor with that "good-for-nothing creep", her eyes wandering until they rested on Rashid. The older Ishtar didn't return her gaze, but a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. Her stomach clenched.

"Will the two duelists please go to their designated spots," The scorekeeper ordered. "The duel shall begin momentarily." Both Jounochi and Rashid headed behind the platform. Heart pounding, Amari snuck through the back of the crowd to follow them.

Rashid waited patiently for the platform to lower so he could enter and begin the duel, but before he could step forward he felt something lightly tug on his arm and pull him back. He was surprised to find Amari standing behind him, holding onto his arm.

"What's the matter?" he asked, seeing her worried expression. "Did you need something from me?"

"Don't do this, Rashid," she pleaded. "Do compete in this duel," Rashid looked perplexed, chuckling lightly until he caught something shadowing her upper arm. They looked like finger marks. He stopped smiling.

"Who did that to you?" he asked, though he already knew that answer. Amari cringed, but she kept her hand on his elbow.

"It doesn't matter," she insisted, "just don't go through with this duel," Rashid shook his head, removing her from his arm.

"Don't be silly," he chided. "You know I must do this. Be patient. Everything will turn out alright,"

"You have one of the God Cards, don't you?" she suddenly accused, clutching the hand that still held hers. "Don't use it, whatever you do. If you do it might-" Both of them looked up as the scorekeeper announced the duel was ready to begin. Rashid turned quickly back to Amari, gently placing a hand on her cheek.

"Everything will be fine," he murmured gently. "If you wish me luck, then I will win. Will you do that for me?" Amari bit her lip, hating that he was treating her like a child but at the same time glad that he was being so kind.

"Good luck, Rashid," she told him softly, and the older boy smiled. Lightly he kissed the top of her head before going up the steps to his platform.

"We'll talk afterword," he informed her, pointing to her upper arm, "about those marks," Amari merely nodded, mute as she watched the platform rise.

Malik watched as Amari snuck back into the crowd, rejoining her cousin and his friends as the first moves of the duel played out. She exchanged a few choice words with Yugi before locking her eyes on the battle in front of them. She touched her arm gingerly before quickly putting it back down. She didn't look at him.

Malik pushed Amari out of his thoughts so he could better focus on the duel. Everything was going well so far. The blonde boy was falling severely behind, unable to keep up with the numerous traps Rashid had set. He could tell the boy was struggling. And Malik already knew what his deck looked like.  
He smiled. Rashid would have an easy victory.

Amari watched as Jounochi and Rashid faced off, her fists clenching and unclenching in anxiety. Jounochi was currently losing, unable to stand up to Rashid's trap monsters. Ironically, she wondered if maybe her 'blessing' had given Rashid luck after all.  
At least that's what she thought until Jounochi summoned Jinzo. Rashid watched in shock as his traps were disabled, and Amari found herself panicking with him.

_As long as he doesn't use the God Card he should be alright._ Amari thought, trying to calm herself down. She just hoped he'd take her warning to heart.

Malik scowled, watching as Rashid's points began to slip lower until they were almost on par with Jounochi's. What was he doing? This duel should have ended by now! Why was he holding back? Malik activated the 'mind tap' ability of the Sennen rod, establishing a mental connection with his older brother.

_Finish him_. He ordered. He could feel Rashid's initial shock to hearing Malik's command, watching as he slightly turned his way to confirm what he'd heard. Malik gave him a slight nod.

"_But Master,"_ Rashid hesitated, _"what if the God card does not recognize me as its owner-"_

_Do not argue with me,_ Malik snapped darkly. _Do it. Quickly, so we can all go to sleep. _Malik disconnected their link, glancing over to the left as he felt a pair of familiar eyes trained on him. Amari had finally gained up the courage to look his way, her face screwed up in a quizzical expression. She must have noticed the small exchange between him and Rashid. Her face read: _What are you up to now? _Instead of answering, he smirked.

Amari turned her attention back towards the duel when all she received from Malik was a cryptic grin. She knew he was once again up to something unpleasant, but she'd hoped to discover what that was before the end of the duel.

"_He's probably told Rashid to summon the God card and end the duel." _Rune said, watching the battle play out through Amari's eyes. _"Hopefully the man will have better sense and choose to listen to you rather than his psychotic brother,"_

Unfortunately this was not the case. The sky above them, where it was before clear and full of stars, now clouded over, pulses of lightning flashing within the dark bulges. A giant, golden bird-like monster descended from the clouds, overshadowing the playing field and the two competitors below. Amari stared up at the creature in fearsome awe as it let out a thunderous cry.

This was the God card, the Winged God-Dragon of Ra.

Jounochi stared up at the monstrous hologram in horror, and Amari couldn't help but feel sympathetic for him. How terrifying it must have been, being on the receiving end of such a mighty beast, real or no.

"Attack, Winged Ra!" Rashid cried. "Deplete the rest of his life points and end this duel in our favor!" All spectators watched in anticipation, awaiting the final awesome blow. Jounochi flinched back, expecting the worst.

At first nothing happened, the clouds crackling above as Ra loomed above them in luminescent glory. Slowly he outstretched his wings, raising his head towards the sky. The God card let out a terrible shriek, and the sky fell into chaos.

Lightning erupted everywhere as the clouds churned like the choppy waters of the disturbed sea. Flashes of light danced erratically, hitting down at random points before disappearing into the cities below. Two, violent cracks resounded, whiting out the platform as the cries of both Jounochi and Rashid were heard. The lightning stopped, and all were still. Jounochi and Rashid laid face down on their platforms. Neither of them stirred. Amari covered her mouth to hide her scream.

Malik had watched all of it, up to the point where Rashid had been struck with lightning and had fallen. His face, right before he'd fainted, was one of pure, abhorrent shock.  
How could he have lost? He'd had a God card-_ the_ God card, the most powerful one of the three! It was supposed to be impossible for him to lose. Yet he had, and now Malik had to suffer the truth that Ra had attacked his servant.

No, not his servant. His brother. Malik closed his eyes against the horrible image of Rashid's still body. Was he still breathing? Should Malik risk his cover as Namu to rush to his side and check? What would Malik do if Rashid was seriously injured? What if he was dead?

"No," Malik wailed against his last thought, placing his hands over his ears to block out the nagging question. It played over and over in his mind, torturing him. What if Rashid was dead because Malik had ignored the rules of the card's ownership? What if, because of his selfishness, Rashid would never wake up again? Amari's voice flooded his mind: _How many more innocent people must suffer until you're ready to walk away? _Malik knelt on the deck, clawing at his ears as he screamed to block out the questions.

_Let me out,_ a dark voice hissed inside his mind. _You can't handle this, just like you hadn't been able to handle your father's death. You're too weak. Let me shoulder this burden for you._

"Go away!" Malik cried to the voice, letting out another terrible scream as pain irrupted behind his eyes. He could feel himself losing control to the voice, could feel his self slipping closer and closer to the shadows of his mind.

_Yes_, the voice purred. _Relinquish your control over to me. Let me walk in the light in your place. I will punish your enemies for you. I will succeed where you have failed. _Malik let out another agonized scream, the pain in his head becoming unbearable. Vaguely he felt someone grab hold of his shoulders, but he had already lost his ability to see to know who it was. A faraway voice called his name, but Malik found that he was already too far gone. The world slipped away from him.

Amari stared on, appalled, when the scorekeeper announced that the winner to the duel would be announced by whoever stood first. This wasn't the time for playing games! The two of them had been shocked. They might not even be _breathing_ right now. Amari fought back tears, her eyes transfixed on Rashid's broken-like frame. Oh God. Why hadn't he listened?

"No!" hearing the cry, Amari whirled around to see Malik with his hands clutching his head, tears filling his eyes. Despite all he had done to her these past few weeks, what he'd done to Ryou, she couldn't help but feel her heart break for him. She headed over to him as he began falling to his knees.

"Malik, calm down," she murmured but he ignored her, acting like she wasn't even there. He began to scream, and Amari felt a chill run up her spine. "Malik, look at me," she demanded, grabbing him by his arms to try to get him to look up at her. Malik began clawing at his ears, his screams becoming louder and more panicked. Amari bent down to look him in the eyes, and gasped. Malik was in physical pain.

"Malik, what is it? Tell me!" she cried, grasping him by the arms as he doubled over. He tried pulling away from her, but she held onto him tighter. "Tell me so I can help you!" she cried, panic rising in her voice. Malik let out another horrific scream before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell unconscious. "Malik!" Amari screeched, helplessly leaning over him as tears spilled from her eyes. She turned towards the other gawking faces, frantic. "Someone help him!" she begged before turning back to try and turn him over.

But as Amari reached for him, her Sennen bracelet began to grow hot. The closer it got to him the hotter it became until it was completely scalding. Amari pulled away, and the bracelet immediately began to cool.

_Let me help him, Rune!_ Amari pleaded with the ancient spirit. _I need to help him!_

"_Something's wrong," _Rune hissed_. "He's become dangerous. We must get away from him!"_

_He's not even con- _Amari broke away from her thoughts as Malik began to sit up.  
"Malik?" she said timidly, "Are you alright?" He didn't answer.

"_Get away, Hikari!"_ Rune cried._ "That isn't Malik!"_  
Amari decided to heed her past life's warning and began to crawl away from him, but when their eyes locked she was frozen back in place. His eyes were still the same light lavender hue, but this time they pierced her in a way they had been unable to before. She felt absolutely exposed under his gaze, like he could see every weakness and fear she'd ever had. It also told her that he knew how to use those fears against her.  
And that he would enjoy doing it.

Amari's breath caught in her throat as she suddenly felt cold all over, like she'd just been engulfed in an icy river. She could hear her own heartbeat pound in her ears, her throat going dry as fear held her tightly in a vice grip. He seemed to grow in size before her, but in reality he was only standing up. She was mesmerized.

He stared down at her, the darkness of his aura so heavy in the air Amari felt like she was chocking. A wolfish grin appeared. He reached down toward her.

"Get away from her!" a strong voice commanded. She didn't dare turn around, but she knew instantly that it was the Pharaoh behind her. Malik paused, his eyes breaking away from her to meet the steady glare of the ancient spirit. He stared back at him, his eyes cold but at the same time completely wild. His grin spread until in was practically too wide to be considered a normalcy. He parted his lips and began to laugh. He continued laughing after stepping away from Amari. He walked through the center of the group, passing the Pharaoh on his way. Malik shot him another crazed smile before moving past him and towards the doors leading back to the living areas. Amari watched him go, a rock sliding into the pit of her stomach. Not long after, the EMTs rushed past with Rashid. Jounochi had won the duel.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment to arrive.**  
**The debut of Dark Malik. DUN. DUN.**

**I wanted to add more to this chapter, but I felt it was becoming a bit too long.**  
**Also, I had to delete an entire chapter in order for the plot to run smoother. For many reasons it just didn't fit in too well with the over all mood of the later chapters in the story. Depending on how many people beg me for it, I might add it in as a bonus chapter once the rest of this fic is completed. (all you guys who like cutsie fluff interaction might want to type 'yes' to this.) **

**Three in three! There's always a plus side to rewrites, at least. **  
**but for some reason I keep finishing these at exactly midnight. Huh.**  
**Anyways, enjoy Duckies! the "Evil Arc" is up next.**

**-M_q_**


	25. Promises

**Chapter Twenty-Four**; _Promises_

Amari lay under her covers, eyes wide open as she stared over at the bleeding red numbers on the digital clock. It was past midnight by the time the duelists were able to return to their rooms for the night. She wasn't quite sure how Kaiba expected them all to eat breakfast and be ready for the next duel by eight, seeing as how that was less than several hours from now.

Amari tossed herself back and forth, both her body and mind too restless for her to sleep. All she could think about was Malik, or what had become of him. Rashid's failure had triggered something within him, something dark and wild. Something _evil_. Amari didn't doubt that it was the same darkness she'd caught a glimpse of when she had encountered him in the hallway. Gingerly, she brushed her fingers over the purple ovals decorating her upper arm. She winced. If he could act that way when only partially possessed, what did she have to look forward to now that this entity had completely taken over? She didn't want to think about it.

Amari sat up. There was no possible way she was going to be able to fall asleep, so instead she decided to go and visit Rashid in the infirmary. She was surprised she was able to find her way there so easily, even in the dimly lit halls of the blimp. Quietly she opened the door and tip-toed over to the only occupied bed. Rashid slept peacefully, the only signs of his ailment being an IV drip attached to his left arm and the heart monitor on the other side of his bed. It whirred softly, a slight _beep_ going off every few seconds to tell her he was still alive. Amari felt tears sting her eyes.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" she murmured softly, resting her small hand atop his. The contrast was unbelievable. Had she always been this pale? She blamed the moonlight that filtered in through the window. Amari watched as his chest rhythmically rose and fell. He had told her he'd wanted to talk to her after the duel about the marks on her arm. Amari bit her bottom lip, staring woefully into his peaceful face. That wasn't going to happen now.

_Do you think he knew the risks?_ Amari wondered, glancing over at the materialized version of her past self. Rune sighed, her arms crossed.

_"He must have,"_ she replied. _"His family has been guarding the Nameless Pharaoh's tomb for generations, as well as the original text of the Gods. I would be surprised if he hadn't known," _Rune shook her head, her eyes full of empathy. _"What I don't understand is why he risked the chance of calling upon Ra when he knew he was not its true master," _Amari stared down at the serene expression on Rashid's face. She already knew why.

"Because he loves his brother," she murmured. "He wanted to protect him." Amari knelt down beside Rashid, laying her head on the crook of her arm as she stared at their interlaced hands.

_I promise, Rashid_, she vowed silently, _that I will protect Malik in your place. I will guide him back out of darkness, so rest for now. _

She next morning Amari found herself amongst only four people to show up at breakfast. There were Anzu and Jounochi, both of whom had already started to make a dent in the buffet-style meal. Each of them waved to her as she walked in, Jounochi turning back to his plate quicker than Amari could say "Hello". Anzu shot her puppy eyes from where she sat, but Amari ignored her. Even though she was no longer angry with Anzu, she didn't feel much like talking to her at the moment. She made her way over to the end of the line, finding herself stuck behind the blonde she had met earlier. Mai shot Amari a look out of the corner of her eye, crinkling her nose as if she'd smelt something unpleasant.

"You sure you're gonna be able to eat all that, honey?" she asked, pointing a perfectly manicured finger down at the stack of pancakes and sausage on Amari's plate. She grimaced. Her stomach had been complaining to her for food for the past few hours she'd been awake, and since she hadn't eaten much of her dinner the night before it screamed at her now. She had let her hunger guide her serving sizes.

"A growing girl's gotta eat," she shrugged, covering up her mistake with a nonchalant answer. Mai arched an eyebrow at her.

"You'll ruin your cute figure if you keep eating like that," she pointed out, "growing or not." Amari rolled her eyes, allowing them to rest on Mai's practically empty tray.

"What about you?" she asked, "You'll faint if you don't eat more than that." Mai shrugged her shoulders.  
"I'm on a diet," she answered wispily. This time Amari arched an eyebrow.  
"What your diet consist of, air?" she muttered sarcastically. Mai winked at her.  
"A girl should always look her best," she replied haughtily. "You never know who might be looking your way,"

_I've heard that one before,_ Amari thought, shooting a flat glance in Anzu's direction. Mai caught her deadpanned look and patted her elbow.

"Don't worry. You'll understand it when you're older," she promised before going to sit down at the table. Amari watched her go, childishly sticking her tongue out when the other girl's back was turned. She decided to go eat in her room.

"Attention Duelists," droned an unenthused voice over the intercom, "You have ten minutes to report to the dueling arena for the announcement of the next two competitors. I repeat…" Amari sighed, getting up from the couch to stretch. Luckily she hadn't had to eat all that food by herself. Yugi had joined her, and now he was currently going through dueling strategies. He knew now that Namu had been the real Malik and that she'd known this the entire time. He had been quiet all through their meal while she explained everything to him, everything except why Malik hated him so much. If she was to protect Malik, then she would have to withhold that information for awhile longer.

"You should probably be going through strategies too, Amari," Yugi warned her as he put his deck back in order. "You don't want to go up there unprepared, especially if you end up against Malik."

"The worst that can happen to me is that I'll lose." She replied, plopping back down on the couch. Yugi shook his head.

"I don't think so," he told her. "So far everyone who's lost on this blimp has ended up being carried away by the medics in critical condition. Besides, you forget that Malik still has the Sennen rod in his possession. He's dangerous, Mar," He took her hand across the table. "The last thing I need is to see you get hurt," Amari pulled away from him, narrowing her eyes.

"Yet it's alright for me to see _you _gethurt?" she snapped. "You may think it's your destiny to save the world, but it all amounts to nothing if you pull stunts that almost get you killed, Yugi." Yugi made a face and ducked his head.

"Yeah, you're right," he mumbled. "Sorry." Amari huffed through her nose, instantly remorseful. She went to sit next to him, draping an arm over her cousin's shoulders.

"I'm just saying that you should try following your own advice," she told him with a light smile. "Got it? I don't want to lose the only other family I have left." Yugi offered a slight smile, but it faded quickly as he did a double take of her arm. He removed her arm from his shoulders to better inspect it. Amari winced as he grazed one of the bruises. He looked at her in horror.

"He did that, didn't he?" his voice quavered, "When you two were standing together in the hallway," Yugi's eyes glazed over in what Amari thought were tears until she found herself staring into the Pharaoh's intense gaze seconds later. Amari tried pulling away, but he held her wrist tightly. He bent his head lower to closely inspect the damage caused, and when his eyes met hers again they were furious.

"Damn him!" he growled, finally releasing her arm. She pulled it back instinctively, biting her lip. Curse her for being so careless! The last thing she'd wanted was for the two of them to find out. Not that it could have been hidden for much longer anyhow, but she had wanted to postpone this inevitable moment as long as she could.

"He'll pay for this." The ancient spirit growled, standing up. "I'll make him regret every laying a hand on you. " Amari stood, grabbing his arm to pull him away from the door.

"Wait!" she cried, "Please don't do this, Pharaoh. He's not himself right now-"

"Are you expecting me to let him get away with this?" the spirit demanded, whirling on her. Amari cringed back at his fierce expression, but she held her ground.

"I'm just asking you to wait until your duel with him," she replied. "Teach him a lesson on the field, rather than in a fistfight." He shook her off of him, but he didn't move closer towards the door.

"I wasn't planning on using my fists," he growled, "but I'll do as you ask." He turned his back to her. "Come on, we're going to be late for the announcement," Amari felt a chill run up her spine as she silently followed after him, knowing exactly what he meant.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**OVER 100 REVIEWS WOO !**

**This chapter was literally half as long as my other recent updates. Sorry about that. Hopefully I'll have enough time tomorrow to sit down and type up another chapter before vacation. :/ **  
**If not then I have an entire week of nothing where I can just sit down and type. Won't that be fun? **

**Until then, duckies. **

**-M_q_**


	26. Let's Play a Mind Game

**Chapter Twenty-Five**; _Let's Play a Mind Game_

As soon as Amari found out she wasn't dueling, she went right back into her room to take a nap. Yugi had tried getting her to stay and watch the duel, seeing as how Malik was one of the competitors, but at the moment her bed looked much more enticing. The thing known as sleep had been denied of her for too long. Every muscle in her body relaxed as she pulled the covers over her head. Within minutes her breathing slowed and she was fast asleep.

As she slept, she dreamed.  
The bazaar was hot for this time of day. Crowded, too. Amari glanced around at all the stalls, curiously staring up at all the merchandise as she was pulled along by the woman who held her hand.

"Careful, Amari," the woman said in a kind voice. "I don't want you getting lost from me, do you understand?" Amari turned her attention to the woman's face as she peered down at her. Though her face was shadowed by the glare of the sun, Amari knew the woman was smiling warmly at her. She returned it happily.

"Yes, Momma," she cooed, gripping the woman's hand tightly. The woman stopped walking to glance at a fruit stall, delicately plucking up a piece of the merchandise to examine it.

"What should we make for you father's birthday, dear?" she asked. "I was thinking Fattah would be nice. He has been asking me to make it these past few nights," Amari nodded, her stomach growling at the mention of food. "Amari, will you bring me back two onions from that stall? Here's some money to pay the vendor," Amari accepted the money her mother handed her before running across the dusty road towards another vendor. She stood on tip-toe in order to see the assorted vegetables better. She spied the onions rather quickly, but when she tried grabbing some she found she couldn't reach. She stretched her arm out as far as she could, her face screwed up in concentration, but she was just too short to finish the job. She pouted, unhappy that should would have to return to her mother empty handed.

"What are you doing?" Amari looked over to see a boy about her age staring her way with a curious expression on his face. Amari returned her feet to the ground, mirroring his stare with the same amount of curiosity. She thought she had known all the children in this area, but she had never met this boy before.

"Getting onions for my momma," she answered. She went back on tip-toe to try again. She flailed her arm at an attempt to knock them closer to her but only succeed in knocking them farther out of her reach. She let out a tiny whine. The boy laughed.

"You're too short!" he cried, making Amari blush.

"Am not!" she argued, reaching for them again to make her point. The boy shook his head and stepped forward.

"Let me try," he offered, scooting her out of the way. "I'm bigger than you, so I should be able to reach," Amari watched him with an indignant expression, sticking out her tongue childishly when he grabbed the onions with much less trouble than herself. He planted his feet back on earth to hand her the raw vegetables. "Here you go," he said with a smile, plopping the onions into her hands.

"Thanks," she replied hesitantly. "I'm Amari, by the way," The boy's smile grew into a crooked grin. She found his smile to be contagious.

"I'm Malik," he answered. Not too far away a girl echoed his name, heading over in their direction.

"Who's that?" Amari asked, pointing towards the girl as she steadily approached. Malik's smile disintegrated into a tiny grimace.

"My sister," he mumbled just as the girl reached them.

"Malik, it's time we headed back," she told him, taking his hand to lead him away. Malik batted her hand away, causing the girl to glower at him. "Stop making a fuss. We have to leave quickly if you want to come back here again,"

"Ishizu," he whined. Ishizu noticed Amari standing next to him for the first time and gained a knowing look. She glanced at Malik first before offering Amari a smile. "Hello," she greeted. "What's your name?" Amari offered a shy smile in return. The girl was very pretty.

"Amari," she answered in soft voice.

"It's nice to meet you, Amari. You say so, too, Malik," The girl prompted, prodding Malik lightly with their interlaced fingers. Malik made a face but obeyed her.

"Nice to meet you," he said. Amari was about to say the same when she heard her mother calling to her at another stall. She turned back towards them apologetically.

"That's my mom," she explained. Ishizu nodded.

"We need to get going, anyway," she assured her with another smile. "It was nice meeting you, Amari," Malik held up a hand in farewell, his face sour.

"Bye," he said sulkily. Amari waved back at him.

"Let's play together next time, okay?" she said before skipping back across the street with her two onions in hand.

Once across the street her mother took them from her and hastily put them into her basket.

"What took so long?" her mother asked chidingly. "I was afraid you might have been short on money. Give me your hand; it's time to go home,"

"Momma, I met a boy today!" she announced excitedly as she put her small hand in her mother's. "He helped me get the onions,"

"A boy," her mother murmured. "Don't let your father know. He might go on a rampage,"

"What's a rampage?" Amari asked, and her mother shook her head.

"Never mind, dear. You said he helped you get the onions?" Amari nodded, turning and pointing back to where she left the two siblings.

"Over there-" but when she turned to look herself she saw that Malik and his sister had already left. A feeling of disappointment swept over her. She had wanted her mother to see what he looked like so she could invite him over for dinner.

"They must have gone home as well," he mother concluded, continuing to pull Amari along. "Next time you see him, introduce me. I'll give him a reward for helping you with our shopping," Amari nodded, happy that her mother was willing to meet Malik. She hoped she could see him again soon. It would be neat if the two of them could become friends.

Amari woke up, sunlight dazzling her the minute she opened her eyes. She sat up, rubbing her fists into her eyes to rid them of the leftover haziness. It had been a very long time since she'd dreamt her own memory. This time it had been when she and Malik had first met.

Amari got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. As she brushed her teeth, she wondered vaguely if the current duel was over yet.

"_Something happened,"_ Rune said, materializing next to her as she moved on to brushing her hair. _"I heard a commotion in the hall not long before you awoke. I think Mai lost,"_

"Did she faint?" Amari questioned. "It would explain the disturbance. I bet it was from lack of food." Rune shook her head solemnly.

"_I don't believe it was from lack of food,"_she answered, returning to her soul chamber as someone knocked on their door. Amari turned off the bathroom light before looking through the peep hole. She opened the door to reveal Aki standing there.

"Did I wake you?" she asked. Amari shook her head, making room for her to come in. Aki didn't sit down.

"How was the duel?" Amari asked, going to grab a soda from the mini fridge. She offered one to Aki, but she turned it down.

"Mai lost," she told her. "Malik did something during the duel. It messed with her head, like really twisted stuff. She started to forget who each of us were. She finally fainted when he won the duel." Amari sucked in her breath. He'd caused Mai to start losing her memories? Was that one of the powers of the Sennen rod?

"How long has she been out?" she asked.

"Not long, just under an hour… but the medics say she's in a comatose state. She's the third one," Aki grabbed Amari's free hand, and Amari could feel that she was shaking. "God, I'm so scared! I'm not even dueling and I'm terrified," she told her, her voice quavering slightly. "Can you promise me something, Amari?"

"What is it, Aki?" Aki gripped her hand tighter, her eyes frightened but completely determined, as if she could force her will onto her.

"When it comes time for you to take part in this tournament, drop out. I don't care who you're faced up with, whether it's Yugi or that creepy Malik guy. I don't want to see you ending up like Ryou or the others. Don't take the risk, okay?" her voice cracked slightly as the urgency in her voice grew. Tears glistened in her almond eyes. "I'll die if I have to go through this without you! I'll just die! You know I've never been a strong person," Amari set down her drink, wrapping her friend in a tight hug.

"You're plenty strong, Aki." She murmured. "No one else I know can handle Bakura the way you do, and that's just one example at how strong you are. This tournament is scary; I know that better than anyone. Hell, I've only been kidnapped about three times since it's started," she let out a light chuckle as she pulled away. Aki threw her a withering look.

"That's not really something to laugh about, Mar," she deadpanned. "Just drop out, okay? I've already seen my boyfriend go under, I don't need to look over your hospital bed, too."

"Alright, alright. I'll drop out," Amari sighed. "Just let me take care of a few things, first," Aki grimaced, but she nodded her contentment. She left shortly after, but not after getting Amari's sworn oath that she would forfeit her match when it came her time to duel. Amari sighed, picking up her drink and taking a long sip.

"_What do you need to take care of first?" _Rune questioned. Amari eyed her transparent form out of the corner of her eye.

_You should know._ She replied, earning a sigh from the ancient spirit.

"_Then let me confront him."_ Rune demanded. _"I don't trust this entity any more than I trusted the original Malik, and I trust _you_ with him even less. I don't want your emotions getting in the way of your resolve," _Amari nodded, taking another long sip.

_Alright,_ She relented. "Let's get this show on the road."

She found him standing at the edge of the railing, staring off at a sea of concrete and metal below them. Faintly the sounds of city life traveled to Rune's ears, barely carried by the constant strands of wind. As she got closer, she noticed the gold stick resting in his hands. It flashed periodically as he turned it slowly in his hands. In response Rune stroked her own Sennen item, glad to have its comforting protection.

"Are you planning on another intervention?" He spoke up, though he continued staring out at the fast-moving landscape. Rune stiffened, surprised he had been able to feel her presence. She took a deep breath to compose herself.

"Who are you?" she demanded, earning from him a small chuckle. He turned to face her, his eyes cold and complex. Sunlight glistened off the gold laced around his neck, but the hazy halo it created was far from appearing divine.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, "spirit." Rune sucked in a gasp. He knew? How was that possible?

"How do you-"

"It's easy to tell when someone is being possessed when you yourself are a possessor," he cut her off with a wicked grin. "Knowing your host holds a Sennen item was also a dead giveaway…" Something dark flickered behind his eyes as his smile slowly faded. "But setting that all aside, you're not the one I want to talk to. Send out your host."

Rune felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle. Something was very off about this entity, something that made Rune very uneasy. There was no way she was allowing him to get anywhere near Amari.

"I'm afraid you'll have to settle for me," she stated, lifting her chin high in a confident air set aside for royalty. "Now answer my question," He narrowed his eyes at her, continuing to twirl the gold in between his fingers. He held it always within plain sight, a constant threat that she refused to take lightly. Though they were protected by their own Sennen item, there were others on board who were not.

"You're not in much of a place to _command _answers, spirit," he spat in a low voice, rubbing a thumb along one of the miniature blades flanking the eye of Horus. "Besides, I don't much like conversing with the dead. Either your host comes out and we have our… _chat_, or we can settle this at another time. How does a Shadow Game sound to you?" He offered her another sinister grin. "Who knows? Perhaps you might last longer than the last person I faced. She was quite the looker, though she showed a lot more skin than most other women I've seen. Her scream was lovely," Rune felt a chill resonate within her core. So _that_ was what had happened to Mai. It had been a very long time since she had last heard the mention of a Shadow Game.

"_What's a Shadow Game?" _Amari asked.

_Something you must never get involved in, at any costs. _Rune answered tightly._ If you lose the game, you lose your soul as well. There's also the Penalty Game-_

"Have you gone speechless?" He drawled, licking his thumb as it began to bleed. "Call her out," Rune clenched her fists, sweat collecting on her brow. She didn't want to risk Amari's safety.

_Rune, switch with me. _Amari spoke up, catching Rune off guard.

"_Are you insane?"_ she cried. _"This entity is dangerous. His aura is on par with that of a demon!"_

_What other choice do we have? _Amari shot back. _This is the only chance we have to strike a deal with him. Please, switch with me._Rune sighed, very reluctant to comply with her, but after a few moments her eyes glazed over and Amari was given back her body.

"_I hope you know what you're doing, Hikari,"_ Rune growled. Amari crossed her arms as she stared at the boy across from her.

"Well, you called me out." She prompted. "Tell me who you are," The wicked smile returned to his face as he removed his thumb from his mouth.

"I am Malik," he answered matter-of-factly. "I am a part of him, a strong part of him that's kept him going for most of his existence. I am his hatred, his loneliness, his anger. All of his negative thoughts and emotions morphed into one, perfect being," His grin shrunk into a sly smirk. "Would you like to know what he _truly _thinks of you, Amari?"

"What am I supposed to call you?" she asked, ignoring his prodding. He shrugged his shoulders lightly, twirling the Sennen rod between his darks fingers like a baton.

"The spirit that shares your body seems very protective of you," he stated lightly, completely side-stepping her question. "You bond must be quite close. How funny, sharing a bond with a parasite. You realize she has become attached to you merely because of her desperateness to return to life? It would explain her protection as well, wanting to preserve your body so she can continue to play pretend instead of passing on-"

"Tell me what to call you," she cut him off in a tight voice. He paused his twirling, the smirk back in place.

"Marik," he offered, "though I doubt that all you want from me is a name," He gave her a look over with the same, piercing gaze from the night before. Amari suppressed a shiver. "Tell me what it is you want from me,"

Amari fought with herself not to turn around and run back to her room and bolt the door. Just being near this entity was terrifying. The aura he emitted made Amari feel like she was suffocating, like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the space surrounding her. It made her wonder exactly how much hatred Malik truly held within him… and how much of it might be directed towards her.

"_Be strong, Hikari,"_ Rune urged. Amari straightened her shoulders.

"I want to strike a deal with you," she said, her voice much stronger than she felt. Marik remained curiously silent as he stared at her a few seconds longer, causing her to fidget restlessly. Slowly, his mouth widened into a smile large enough to split his face, making Amari's skin crawl.

"I'm listening,"

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Cliffhanger! We were due for one, anyway. **

**So I've been thinking about starting a rewriting process for the first few chapters of LoT. It probably wont happen until I finish up LoT completely, but it's a definite possibility. I dunno, tell me what you guys think. **

**Ps, I looked at my viewing charts for this, and I'm not sure why, but I became extremely happy in knowing that the country with the second most viewers of LoT was Germany. (I forget how many viewers, but it was quite a few.) The US came in first, which I expected, but the diversity of the countires who follow my story is mind-blowing. I even have a few followers from places like the Republic of Korea and Guyana. Sweetness, right? I think so. **

**-M_q_**


	27. Crossing Bridges

**Chapter Twenty-Six; **_Crossing Bridges _

Amari leaned heavily against the wall, head in her hands. She was back in her room, but she was unable to get comfortable. She felt restless after her conversation with Marik. She'd struck her deal with him, like she'd planned… but the problem rested in what he wished for in return.

"_Stupid fool,"_ Rune hissed, her ethereal form hovering in the corner of Amari's vision. _"You shouldn't have agreed! What made you do such a thing?" _Amari sighed, lifting her head wearily.

"I don't know," she admitted, "but now we have to make sure to win at whatever costs,"

"_Of course,"_ Rune snorted, crossing her arms. _"Since now, because of you, everything has been put into jeopardy. I knew approaching that entity would only lead us down a crooked path,"_ Rune was right, but Amari hardly wanted to admit it. Pushing off the wall, she went over to the mini fridge to see if any sodas were left. She popped open a diet coke, taking a long sip as she thought over her deal with the dark entity an hour before.

"I'm listening," Marik said, his malicious grin causing her legs to grow weak. Amari leaned against the railing to support herself, disguising her fear with a tilt of her head.

"I want to duel you," she said, "In or outside of the tournament, I don't care. When I win I want you to give Malik back control of his body," At first Marik said nothing, his expression unreadable as silence filled the small void between them. That silence was quickly shattered when Marik began to laugh.

"Cocky, are we?" he mocked, tilting his head in the same fashion she had done. "What makes you so sure you can win against me?" Amari gripped the railing tightly as the trembling in her legs traveled up through the rest of her body.

"B-because I can't afford to lose," she replied, grimacing when her voice quavered. Marik chuckled again, catching the sudden stammer in her voice. He stepped closer to her, and she fought not to take the same amount of steps back.

"But on the off chance that you lose," he questioned, "what can I hope to receive from you in return?" She flinched slightly when his hand reached out to move a wayward strand of hair out of her face. "After all, you can't expect me to agree to your demands without benefits for myself included,"

"What do you want, then?" she gasped, leaning away from his touch. His wolfish grin returned, but before she could react he griped the railing on either side of her cutting off her escape. Amari leaned back on the railing until she felt herself in danger of falling over the edge. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest as he followed her back, his lavender irises flickering fiercely with a dangerous and familiar darkness.

"Should I win this duel, you will deliver the Pharaoh over to me," he told her. "You will steal his Sennen puzzle, and you shall shatter it. But before that, you will put a knife through his host's heart," Amari felt her mouth go dry, the "no" she wanted to shout caught at the base of her throat. Instead she shook her head.

"You can't expect me to agree to that!" she cried when she found her voice, causing his smile to dissipate.

"And why not?" he demanded. "Weren't you the one who was worried about the suffering of innocents? You should take responsibility for your words,"

"Yugi is innocent!"

"How does that matter?" he challenged. "He will become the last sacrifice whether you kill him or not. The only difference is whether the murderer is you or me. Trust me," he chuckled, "you'd rather it be you,"

"Why are you doing this?" she croaked past her tightening throat. Marik leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Think of this as penance for your sins against me," he murmured. He pulled away from her, watching with an amused smirk as her knees finally gave way and she sunk against the railing. "Don't look so upset, dear," he cooed. "All you have to do is make sure you win,"

Amari shivered, remembering the taunting look on his face. She tossed the half-empty can back in the fridge, losing her appetite for the carbonated drink. The more she thought the whole situation over, the more she felt she had dug her own grave. She wasn't that bad of a duelist, but she was far from the level of many people aboard the blimp. Hell, she'd hardly even _looked_ at her deck since this whole tournament began! How could she have proposed such a challenge when she hardly had a hope of winning? Amari covered her mouth as she felt her soda returning for a second encore.

"I need some air," she concluded, heading for the door. Upon exiting her room Amari found she wasn't alone in the hallway. She paused as she met the eyes of the mysterious, veiled woman across the hall. The woman said nothing to her as she put her key up to the electric lock. She broke their stare to glance at both ends of the hallway, nodding slightly when she saw they were alone. Her door slid open, and the woman stepped inside. She curled a finger for Amari to follow her.

At first Amari was hesitant, not sure if trusting this woman would be a good thing or not. But she remembered the strange familiar feeling she'd gotten when she had first saw the mysterious woman at the meeting place for the semi-finalists. The same feeling nagged at her now. Looking to see if anyone was watching her, Amari slipped in after the veiled woman.

"Who are you?" Amari questioned once the door slid shut behind her. The woman was turned away from her, heading over to a glass table where her duel disk laid. She put it on before finally turning to face Amari. She pulled down her face veil, making tears spring to Amari's eyes.

"You've noticed the changes in him too, haven't you?" Ishizu demanded softly. Amari nodded, her mouth covered to stifle the cry that wanted to escape her.

"I've done something foolish, Ishizu!" she managed to choke out as tears fell freely from her eyes. "I've agreed to something I shouldn't have, and I don't know how to fix it," Ishizu grasped Amari by the shoulders and steered her to sit down on one of the couches.

"Tell me," she insisted. Amari told Ishizu about her vow to the unconscious Rashid and how it had led up to her confrontation with Marik. When she explained her end of the deal, Ishizu went rigid.

"What have you done?" she murmured, but her voice sounded more fearful then angry. "By agreeing to this you've put the Pharaoh and the Chosen One in even greater danger!"

"I won't do it," Amari insisted, "I'm a chosen holder of a Sennen item, right? He won't be able to control me with the Sennen rod like the others because the bracelet protects me," Even as Amari said this Ishizu was shaking her head.

"If you don't keep up your end of the bargain then you'll put yourself in a very bad position," she replied gravely, "and according to what you've said this entity already has a grudge against you. I'm fearful of what might happen if you end up going against him,"

"Are you saying that I should kill Yugi then?" Amari snapped.

"Of course not," Ishizu replied calmly. "You're only option- the only _true_ option you have- is to win your duel against him," Amari's bottom lip quivered.

Before either of them could say more, a disembodied voice announced the start of the next duel.

"That's my queue," Ishizu sighed, placing the veil back over her face. Amari stood with her.

"You're the one who's dueling Kaiba?" Amari asked as she wiped her eyes. "He's very tough. I hope you can win," Ishizu placed a delicate hand over the Sennen necklace as it glinted subtly under the fluorescent lighting.

"I plan to," she answered. "You're not the only one with a plan to save my brother,"

"Ishizu," Amari grabbed the other girl's elbow as she went to exit the room. "How did this happen? What caused this evil spirit to posses Malik?" Ishizu smoothed down the younger girl's hair, her eyes full of sympathy.

"You've been crying quite a lot lately," she observed. "Let me save that tale for another time. We're already late for my first duel,"

* * *

**Author's Note;**

Sorry. It's short, I know. Blame the duels.  
Originally, Ishizu's duel with Kaiba was to be included with this chapter, but it's taking me forever to write it because I hate writing duels, even vague ones.

Anyway, I didn't feel like leaving you guys in too much suspense, so I chopped it up a bit and sent it out. Hopefully, besides being dreadfully short, it meets your standards.  
Enjoy!

-M_q_


	28. False Premonitions

**Chapter Twenty-Seven; **_False Premonitions_

Amari parted from Ishizu as they entered the outside platform of the blimp. As she joined Yugi and the others she couldn't help but scan the crowd. She wasn't surprised to see Marik standing by himself on the other side of the platform. Her stomach flopped when his gaze caught hers, and he held it for several heartbeats before finally turning away. Amari hardly had to force herself to do the same.

A suited guard announced the arrival of the duelist to face Kaiba, and Ishizu gracefully entered on her side of the platform. Kaiba looked even less happy than usual.

"About time you showed up," he sneered. "You have some guts, making me wait," Ishizu said nothing as she stared down the CEO.

"Tell us who you are, duelist," the referee commanded. In response, Ishizu pulled down the veil covering her face.  
"Hey, Yugi, didn't we meet her at the museum?" Anzu whispered. The Pharaoh nodded.

"My name is Ishizu Ishtar," she announced, her voice clear and strong. The ancient spirit snapped his attention over to Amari.

"She said Ishtar. Does that mean she's Malik's sister?" he asked her. Amari didn't answer him. She was too busy focusing on Marik across from them. For a split second, after Ishizu had revealed herself, she thought she'd caught a glimpse of the real Malik. She clenched her fists at her sides.

"I never expected to see you here," Kaiba snorted.

"I was guided here by my own fate," she proclaimed. She tilted her head in the direction where Marik stood. "That person there is my brother, or he was until recently," she explained. "Right now he is being controlled by another personality," she turned her attention away from Marik, pointing a finger at Kaiba across the field. "Hear me, Kaiba," she cried, "In order to release my brother from this evil I will win this duel!"

_Ishizu, _Amari thought silently, _I think Malik hears you. _For reasons unknown to her, Amari felt her heart clench. Had he heard her as well? Did he know she also wanted to save him?

"How are you sure you'll win?" Kaiba retorted.

"I've already foreseen it," Ishizu replied. "Prepare to lose, Kaiba. There's no escaping your fate,"

"You're speaking as if you believe me to care about those types of things," Kaiba accused, "but you're wrong. I control my own destiny. Enough talk; let's duel,"

While everyone else was focused on the battle ensuing in front of them, Amari found her eyes glued to the one person who looked just as disinterested in the duel as she was. Marik grimaced to himself as something flickered subtly around him, his glower smoothing out once the strange disturbance settled shortly after. It had only been a split second, but Amari was certain that she'd just seen Malik's aura trying to push through Marik's.

_Come on, Malik_, she urged silently. _Fight him! I know you can do it,_ Despite her silent support, Malik's aura didn't reveal itself a third time.

"_If Ishizu wins this, we might have a better chance at freeing him,"_ Rune mused. _"His soul has become more restless at seeing his sister. Perhaps we can dispel this entity _without _having to duel him,"_

_That's if Ishizu wins,_ Amari responded, turning away from Marik before he could catch her looking at him again.

"She's in a bad spot," Jounochi spoke up, catching Amari's attention. "Kaiba's already sent half her deck into the graveyard,"

"She must be planning something," the Pharaoh replied, arms crossed. "Look at how calm she is," It was true. In spite of her current situation Ishizu looked far from worried.

"That, or she has a really good poker face," Aki muttered.

"It's more than that," Amari murmured, though no one noticed. Once again she found her gaze traveling from the playing field to the lone figure across the platform. Marik looked absolutely pleased with the current situation his sister was in, a smile resting comfortably on his face. It was hard for Amari to tell if he was happy to see his sister losing, or if it was because he knew there was something up her sleeve. Her earlier conversation with the Egyptian woman entered her mind.

_What are you up to, Ishizu?_ She wondered.

It wasn't long until her unspoken question was answered. Ishizu activated her trap card's ability, forcing both her and Kaiba to switch all the cards in their deck with the ones in their graveyards. Kaiba looked horrified, but he recovered quickly when the cheers of the others brought him back to reality.

"_Smart move,"_ Rune murmured lightly, but her forehead was crinkled in a scowl. Amari turned her attention towards her other half.

_What is it? _She asked. Rune shifted her gaze to her before quickly refocusing on the duel.

"_Something doesn't feel right."_ She answered. _"I can't explain it." _ Amari turned her attention back to the duel when Kaiba began sacrificing Ishizu's monsters. In their place appeared a giant, horrifying monster.

"Obelisk," she said aloud, only to hear the Pharaoh echo her words. Ishizu appeared calm as ever, but Amari could feel the excitement bubbling from her. Why would she be happy at seeing the god card opposite her? She was about to lose, wasn't she?

_A trap!_ Amari thought suddenly. _That's the only thing I can think of that could make her that happy. She's done something clever. Can she really beat a god card, though?_

"_Don't underestimate the wielder of a Sennen item." _Rune warned gravely.

Kaiba prepared to call the attack to end the duel, but he paused, his eyes glazing over as he stared open-mouthed at nothing. Amari looked around at the expressions of confusion on the others' faces, her eyes stopping to rest across the field. Was the Sennen Rod glowing? Automatically Amari feared Marik might be controlling Kaiba, but the grimace darkening his face told her otherwise.

_What's going on?_ She wondered. Kaiba suddenly snapped out of… whatever had happened to him, and immediately his eyes returned to their normal chill. He raised an arm high in the air, and Ishizu allowed herself the tiniest smile.

"I summon the Blue-eyes White Dragon!" the CEO cried, and Ishizu stumbled back in shock. The monster appeared before her in a flash of light, and with a mighty roar blasted away the rest of her life points. Ishizu gripped the railing, her breathing labored and her eyes wide. Amari could see her shaking. She looked genuinely shocked. Kaiba left the platform, obviously pleased with his victory, but his face was remarkably pale. As he passed the group, Amari could see the sweat sheen on his forehead and neck. _Something_ had happened to him during those last moments of the duel.

Ishizu moved past soon after, but when Amari called out to her the Egyptian girl acted as if she had not heard her. Worried, Amari trailed slowly behind her. She looked very shaken. Obviously whatever she had planned before had gone terribly wrong. She caught up to Ishizu's side, but she said nothing, Ishizu continuing to ignore her presence.

"Ishizu, what happened up there?" she finally gained the courage to say. Ishizu halted outside her door, her eyes glazed over in utter hopelessness. She turned slowly to face Amari, her lips pursed in a tight line.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice husky. "I really want to be alone right now," With that she shut the door on her, leaving Amari to stare, perplexed, at the cold metal slab. She sighed, her shoulders sagging.

As she turned she was greeted by a pair of sinister, lavender eyes. Amari jumped back, holding in the scream wanting to escape her as she pressed herself up against the wall. A cold sweat broke out on her neck as Marik trapped her with his hands, the Sennen Rod poised over her left brow.

"Plotting, are we?" he asked with a sly grin. Amari felt her legs begin to wobble, the memory of their last meeting still fresh in her mind. She forced herself to form words past the choking atmosphere.

"W-what would make you say that?" she gasped , her eyes shifting away from the gold to fall deep inside the darkness in his lavender pools. Once caught, she could not look away from them. She felt like she was drowning within his eyes, in a black sea of poison that threatened to overcome her. He chuckled low, his voice resonating within her head like the tolling of a funeral bell.

"I'm not as dumb as you think I am," he murmured, angling his face closer to hers, "and you're not as clever as you make yourself believe." His hot breath ticked the side of face, making the hairs on her arms stand up. "Don't try to defy me, Khawan," he hissed, using his native tongue as further insult. Amari sucked in her breath, recognizing the word: Traitor. His right hand left the wall to trace lazy circles on her bare shoulder, twisting itself within the dark tendrils of her long hair. "Repeat our pact to me," he ordered. Amari swallowed the dry lump in her throat, her hands curling into tight fists as she fought with herself not to throw him off of her.

"Get off me," she managed in a whisper-like voice. Despite its tiny volume it held strength. Marik paused the hand still playing with her hair.

"Say it," he ordered again, his voice no longer teasing. His fingers tightened their grip, and when Amari refused to speak he yanked hard, ripping free a few stands or her hair. "Say it," he hissed again menacingly as she gasped past the pain. Tears stung her eyes as her lips grew thinned out into a tight line. Only when he yanked a second time did she oblige his wishes.

"If you win I will hand over the Pharaoh to you," she said in a trembling voice. His grip tightened once more on her hair.

"And?" he questioned darkly. Amari paused, trying to return air to her lungs. She let out a shaky breath.

"And I will kill Yugi," she finished. His wicked smile returned, and he loosened the grip on her hair.

"Remember this the next time you sneak off to seek the guidance of those who don't need to be involved," he warned, pushing away from the wall so she could scramble past. Amari bolted down the hall, not worrying that he could see her fear in plain sight. His echoing laugh followed her all the way back to her room, where she safely collapsed into a fit of hysteria.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**So sorry this took so long to publish. College is kicking my butt big time.**

**Also, I have no idea if that is indeed the correct translation of "traitor" in Arabic, seeing as how I used a crappy google translator. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.**

**Love all of you for being so understanding with my slow progress.**

**-M_q_**


	29. What Doesn't Kill Us

**Chapter Twenty-Eight; **_What Doesn't Kill Us_

It was an hour before Amari felt it safe enough to wander back out of her room. Quietly as she could she sped down the halls, twisting around corners so quickly her shoulder constantly grazed the wall. Her eyes wandered everywhere nervously, constantly on the look-out for a certain psychopath. It felt much longer than a measly five minutes before she reached the recovery room.

Upon entering, she was shocked to see so many people gathered. Most of the group was clustered around the bed that held Mai, with Aki sitting stoically by Ryou's side a few beds away. A boy Amari had only met once- Otogi- stood by her side, a comforting hand on her shoulder. Alone at Rashid's bedside stood Ishizu. She had been in the middle of speaking when Amari had entered, and her gaze turned to her knowingly.

"What's going on?" she asked timidly when everyone turned to stare at her also. Ishizu motioned for her to come closer.

"I was explaining Malik's circumstance," she replied as Amari sat on the other side of Rashid. Her hand rested atop his, as it always did when she visited, her teeth cutting into her bottom lip. When she didn't say anything, Ishizu turned back towards the group, her eyes once again becoming serious. She took a deep breath.

"When we entered to see Rashid bloodied on the floor, Malik went berserk, much like what you saw during Jounochi and Rashid's duel," Amari tightened her grip on Rashid's hand. "When he returned to his senses he was not the same person as before. A dark entity had taken over him, released by the psychological turmoil of seeing Rashid's death-like state. Possessed by the spirit's evil, he used the Sennen Rod to murder our father."

She paused to take a breath, her words heavy in the air surrounding them. Amari felt as a cold sweat collected on the back of her neck, chilling her to her very core. He began to shake, suddenly feeling very ill.

_Oh God,_ she thought. The _reality is worse than what we imagined. It can't be true-_

"Next the spirit turned its attention on me," Ishizu continued, jarring Amari out of her thoughts and sending her down another twisted, nightmarish scenario. She listened intently, praying to God he hadn't done anything close to what came to her mind. "He used the Sennen Rod's powers to immobilize me, but before he could make the blow to end my life, Rashid awoke," Her voice became softer as she recalled the horrific memory, her eyes clouding over in unshed tears. "I'm not sure how he was able to do it, but he sealed away the evil controlling Malik. When Malik came to, he remembered nothing."

As everyone stared at Ishizu in horrified awe, Amari focused her eyes on the comatose Rashid. She followed the rhythm of his steady, deep breathing, trying to match it to her own in hopes of calming herself down. Malik had killed his father- no, _Marik_ had. And all this time he had been chasing the Pharaoh, thinking he was the murderer. With her free had, Amari covered her mouth to stifle a sudden sob. How could she tell him the truth now? No matter how you looked at it, it appeared as if Malik was the culprit.

After a short while, Ishizu handed her Sennen Necklace over to Yugi, claiming that she could no longer see the future.

"My duel with Kaiba showed me that, when his future changed from what I had seen," she explained, placing it in his hands. "I am no longer the rightful owner of this item. It has fulfilled its purpose for me. Now you must use it to help awaken the Pharaoh's memories." At her words, Yugi became very solemn. He nodded his understanding to her, looking past her to offer Amari a sad, sympathetic smile. He left the room, the others following in his wake.

As Aki walked past, she noticed Otogi sticking very close by her. Anger welled up inside of her, as well as a pang of guilt. Aki was going through so much right now, but Amari was hardly paying attention to her. She was failing as her best friend. Even if that dice guy was looking a little too friendly towards her for comfort, Amari should have been happy someone was supporting her best friend in her place. Besides, Aki wasn't the type to cheat.

Soon after, Ishizu and Amari were the only two left in the infirmary, the only sounds shared between them the beeping of machines and soft breathing. Amari returned her gaze to Rashid, his face hold a serenity she couldn't help but envy in that moment. Beside her, Ishizu was silently weeping.

"Ishizu," she spoke up softly, though she did not turn to see with the Egyptian girl had responded, "During your duel today with Kaiba, when you had announced who you were, I think… I think that Malik had heard you," She caught the look of shock on the older girl's face in the corner of her eye, and she pursed her lips together in thought. "There was a… changed in Marik when you first mentioned who you were. I can't really explain it well, but," she looked at her fully then, tears falling down her face as well, "for a split second, he was Malik again. You were able to change him back,"

"But it didn't last long, did it?" she asked, her voice on the verge of bitterness as she looked down into her brother's face. "No, only Rashid can seal this demon."

"But he heard you, Ishizu!" Amari argued, her other hand grasping hold of hers across the bed. "He heard you! That counts for something. It means we still have a chance to get through to him!" Ishizu smiled, but it was obviously forced. She returned pressure to Amari's hand.

"Then maybe you should try getting him to hear you," she answered softly. "You meant a lot to him, even after you left," Amari felt her heart sink, and she shook her head as a lump began forming in the back of her throat.

"I don't think so," she croaked. "He hates me now. He thinks I'm a traitor, and I was so nasty to him," She forced out a weak chuckled, tears falling again. "Right now, in his eyes, I'm enemy number two," Ishizu mirrored the sadness in her eyes, and for a long while the two sat in silence, just crying together and linking hands.

Amari went back to her room, sighing as she flopped down on the couch. She felt worn out again from crying so much. Actually, now that she thought about it, that was the first time Amari had ever seen Ishizu cry.

"_These are sorrowful times," _Rune spoke up to her thoughts. _"It is no wonder she cries. This must be a terrible burden for her; one brother in a coma, the other bent on a psychopathic rampage pointed at the wrong target. Not to mention having been a guide to the Pharaoh's destiny… I would be worried if she did not shed one or two tears,"_

"Yeah, you're right," Amari answered, her voice hushed as she stared blankly at the ceiling above her, trying to untangle her thoughts.

"Attention Duelists," A voice yawned over the intercom system, "Be prepared for the final duel of the semi-finals in ten minutes. I repeat-" Amari sighed and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the couch to stand.

"My turn," she mumbled, grabbing her duel disk off the glass table in front of her and strapping it to her arm.

"_Who do you think we are dueling?"_ Rune pondered, though by the seriousness of her tone it was obvious she had already ventured a guess. Amari sighed, knowing her past self's thoughts exactly.

"We couldn't get that lucky," she replied, shuffling her deck before placing it in its proper spot. "Since the numbers were uneven, I'm facing a past winner that they chose for me at random." That left her with the choices of Yugi and the Pharaoh, Jounochi, Kaiba, or Marik. They had a one-in-four chance. "Ready?" she asked out loud, hands on her hips. Reflected in the mirror, Rune's spectral form materialized. She gave her Hikari a sharp nod. Amari took a deep breath and walked across the threshold, ready to face her first duel in the tournament.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Lookit me, lookit me. Two in a row! I figured I should get as many of these chapters cranked out while I had time.**  
**Up next the duel you've all so patiently been waiting for. (Yay) Just a quick reminder that the duel won't be played out move by move, since I hate writing duels, and they're boring anyhow. **

**Until next time, duckies.**

**-M_q_**


	30. Watch Them Burn

**Chapter Twenty-Nine; **_Watch Them Burn_

Amari walked confidently to her elevator, the doors clicking shut behind her with ominous force. She felt as her body was propelled upward, causing a heavy feeling to form in her gut. The doors slid open again to reveal the playing field to her. Everything was basked in a beautiful, blood red sunset. Boldly she stepped out onto her platform.

_Here we go,_ she thought, clenching her fists at her sides as the heavy feeling slid further into her gut. The judge raised his hand high into the twilight air.

"This is the last duel of the semi-finals," he announced in a baritone voice. "Since our number of candidates is uneven, a winner has been chosen at random to face our final duelist," He turned away from the crowd to face the other platform. "Will the chosen duelist please join us on the playing field!" Not long after, the elevator groaned to life, winking as each new floor was reached. The heaviness settling in Amari's stomach forced itself up into her chest when the metal doors slid open.

Marik grinned as he caught her face paling at the sight of him. "Why so shocked?" he asked, mocking her. "This was what you wanted, isn't it?"

"The final battle in the semi-finals is Malik Ishtar versus Amari Hitore," interrupted the judge. He sliced the air with a raised palm. "Begin!"

"I'll give you this last chance to cut off our deal," Marik offered, completely ignoring the judge's announcement to start the duel. Instead he leaned against the bar, leisurely crossing his arms over his chest as if he had all the time in the world. He offered Amari a crooked smile across the field before holding up a finger. "Just be warned, I'll expect a penalty for wasting my time with your cowardice,"

Amari held her ground firmly, glaring back at his easy-going stance with one of fierce determination. Her knuckles were white at her sides. Slowly she scanned the crowd before her, her eyes resting on Aki first. She could see as her friend mouthed out for her to quit, the fear in her almond eyes clear as Otogi wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Next to her, the Pharaoh stood. She could see anger in his eyes- not directed towards her, but her opponent. When their gazes caught each other they immediately shifted to softer emotions: worry, doubt, and pleading. He also looked slightly frightened, something Amari took as a surprise. Her heart clenched slightly.

"_What do you want to do?"_ Rune asked. _"We can save the Pharaoh and Yugi if we forfeit," _

_But I'll lose Malik in the process_, Amari bit back. She couldn't risk losing this chance. "I decline," she spoke out loud. "I am not afraid to face you. I _will_ win back Malik's soul!"

From the audience, Aki let out a strangled cry of anger and panic. From the depths of her friend's shriek, Amari was certain she'd heard her name.

_Sorry, Aki_, she said silently, sending a sad, half-apologetic smile her way,_ but this is something I have to do. There's no other way. _

The evil spirit chuckled at her determination, straightening from his relaxed pose. "Then after this point, my offer no longer stands," he replied with a pointless shrug. "But, how about I offer you a different proposal?" Rune's aura bristled slightly at his words, piquing Amari's suspicion.

"What kind of proposal?" she asked skeptically. Marik's signature, twisted grin returned.

"A Shadow Game," he answered. Rune let out a shriek of protest.

_Amari, don't listen!_ Rune cried, her aura shooting through the roof as her anger overflowed into Amari's gut. _He's trying to trick you! You must not accept! You could lose your soul-_

"By the shocked look on your face, I'm guessing your parasite is spouting nonsense into that pretty, little ear of yours," Marik interrupted, snapping Amari's attention back to him. Rune hissed, seething in complete rage. "In truth, playing a Shadow Game has no bettering effect for me. In fact, it might just help your own chances of winning,"

Amari narrowed her eyes, this time being the one to cross her arms. "How so?" she asked doubtingly. Seeing he had her attention, the grin was back on his face.

"The rules are simple," he stated. "As the challenger I get to decide the rules of the game. I have to choose rules that will not put either of us in favor but will challenge us during the course of our duel. By the end of it one of us will have to give up one of our souls," He tilted his head slightly, his twisted smile morphing into a cocky grin. "Are you following me so far?"

"So you're saying that if I win, your soul will disappear?" she asked flatly. "Sorry, but weren't you going to do that anyway?" Even from so far away, Amari could see the darkness flickering behind his eyes.

"Not entirely," he answered. "Our deal is that I would give Malik control of his body. I never said I would go away," At his words, Amari felt as though spiders drowned in ice water had been poured down her back.

_Damn it,_ she cussed within the safety of her mind. _It looks like I have no choice then-_

"_Hikari, you can't!"_Rune cried. _"Must you risk even more lives with your foolishness, namely ours?"_

_We don't have a choice now!_ Amari shot back. _This is the only option we have of getting rid of this evil entity. I made a promise to Rashid._

"_I beg of you, Hikari," _Rune pleaded desperately, more panic-stricken than Amari had ever heard her,_ "you must not face him in a Shadow Game! The risk is much too high for us to accept. Please!"_

Amari screwed her eyes shut. She held her fists so tightly that she no longer felt them.

_I'm sorry, Rune,_ she answered finally_. I have to do this._

"_Amari, no-"_

"I accept," she said at last. The bulging, red sun sunk low over the edge of the blimp, illuminating Marik's face in a hellish glow. He laughed.

"Then let us begin,"

Bile rose in the Pharaoh's throat when Amari decided not to forfeit her duel against Marik. Had she gone mad? Certainly she knew what had happened to Mai after she had faced such a demented creature. She had seen the woman, eyes closed in her comatose state with a constant oxygen supply strapped to her face. She knew of the dangers and the evil lurking within him. Why would she still go through with such a match?

Beside him, Aki strangled out Amari's name, the fury clear on her small, Asian face. Otogi's arms suddenly went from comforting to restraining as the small girl tried her best to jump onto the platform Amari stood on. Otogi grunted when she elbowed him in the gut, but he held on to her easily.

"Calm down," he urged when frustrated tears began falling from her eyes. "She'll be alright. She wouldn't have decided to duel him if she wasn't going to be," His intensely green eyes met the Pharaoh's, silently communicating with him to help him out. "Right, Yugi?"

The Pharaoh nodded, his eyes resting on Aki who stared up at him tearfully. "She'll be fine," he said, though his voice was tight with strain.

"_Do you really think so?"_ Yugi spoke up within his soul chamber. _"This is Marik we're talking about. You saw what he did to Mai,"_

_Amari is a good duelist,_ the Pharaoh replied, crossing his arms over his chest_, and not only that she has Rune to aid her. She should be alright if this happens to be a normal battle. I trust Rune will keep her from making any true mistakes. _

Suddenly, the dueling platform became surrounded by a dome of pure darkness, engulfing both Amari and Marik in its sinister embrace.

"It's the same dome that overshadowed Mai's duel," Jounochi spoke up in disgust. "This doesn't look good,"

"No," Aki wailed, collapsing against Otogi who tightened his hold on her.

A cold sweat broke out on the Pharaoh's skin. Amari had accepted to face Marik in a Shadow Game. Their chances of winning just decreased dramatically. Why hadn't Rune stopped her?

"_Still think she'll be alright?"_ Yugi asked anxiously. _"Pharaoh?"_

_To be honest, Yugi,_ he answered, the voice of his soul even shaking with fear_, to be honest, now I'm not so certain.

* * *

_**Author's Note;**

**Sorry, I know I'm such a tease.  
This chapter was originally supposed to include the duel, but it was already running on four pages in my Word doc. I figured it would be better for all of us if I split up the chapter a bit (this way I could create even more awful suspense and your eyes would have less strain after reading this... of course you patience is probably pretty strained right now, but...)  
I have nothing to work on for the next couple of days, so you'll probably get a few more chapters out of me before my next long hiatus. You'll definitely get to see the duel and its results, at least.  
Happy fall break everyone!**

**-M_q_  
**


	31. Hunger

**Chapter Thirty; **_Hunger_

Amari's heart fluttered wildly as she watched the dome envelop them, blotting out the dazzling sunset with darkness. It wasn't the usual type of darkness—this was one of complete and utter blackness, where no light would ever be able to penetrate. It terrified her.

"I'll set up the rules," Marik announced across the field. "The first is this: every time we lose life points, we will lose part of our vision," He watched in satisfaction as a look of panic crossed her face. "The darkness will creep closer and closer to us, consuming our sight until one of us is out of life points or can no longer see well enough to play. When one of us succumbs to the darkness, a soul is devoured along with our sight."

Marik grinned slightly when he finished explaining. She looked absolutely terrified, much to Marik's delight. He found it hard to contain the grin wanting to burst forth as he noticed her knees quiver slightly. Yes, she had every right to be afraid. Soon, that traitorous wench would be his to do with as he pleased. He would have his revenge.

_Of course it would be blindness. _Amari thought glumly. _Malik knows I'm terrified of the dark. _

"_It'll be alright," _Rune urged calmly. _"Just keep a level head, and we can get through this."_

_Easier said than done, _Amari thought, uttering a heavy sigh. She met Marik's gaze across the field, her face flaring red when she saw the grin resting lightly on his face. He was taunting her.

"Please," she spat out loud, gaining a fresh wave of confidence from her sudden anger. "Couldn't you be more original? Like pulling out fingernails, or amputating limbs, or something?" Marik's grin widened in that special, manic way of his, a soft chuckle escaping between his lips.

"I'd offer to save that for next time," he retorted, "but I doubt there will be—at least for you," Amari crossed her arms haughtily over her chest, emerald eyes flashing.

"Says you," she answered snidely. "Now make your move. Let's get this thing started already,"

"_Don't get testy, Hikari,"_ Rune warned, but half her warning was drowned out by Marik's sudden burst of evil laughter.

"Very well," he replied, amused. "I'll make you regret your words," He removed five cards from his deck and examined them, and Amari did the same. She grimaced slightly when she noticed she didn't have anything good. Marik, on the other hand, looked positively pleased with his first hand.

"I summon Melchid the Four-Face Beast in attack mode," Marik said, slipping on a mask of calm to hide his hand. "And I place one card face down to end my turn,"

Amari looked down at her hand, forcing herself not to grimace again and give away how bad her hand really was. She really didn't have much to go on.

_Oh well,_ she thought miserably. _Here I go._

"I summon Atomic Firefly in attack mode," she called out, and a small, bug-shaped machine appeared next to her. It whirred softly, its mechanics imitating the sound of a baby's coo. "And I place one card face down to end my turn."

The Pharaoh watched as Amari's Atomic Firefly was easily destroyed with a slight grimace. Her life points dwindled down to 2600, his heart squeezing slightly. Even with her card's effect it was a risky move to make this early in the game.

He watched as Amari froze on her platform, panic lighting her face momentarily before she composed herself and called out her monster's effect. The small pain subsided when Marik's life points went down to 3000, but he still felt uneasy.

Next to him, Jounochi and the others whooped and hollered in her favor. Amari, hearing their cheers, waved and did a miniature victory jiggle to show off for them. In spite of himself, the Pharaoh felt a smirk creep into the corner of his mouth.

"She's totally got this!" Jounochi crowed confidently, but another look at Amari told the Pharaoh otherwise. Her face was looking rather pale, a sheen of sweat beading on her forehead. Her smile looked forced. Something was wrong. He scowled, suspicious.

_"She looks really freaked out,"_ Yugi mused worriedly, materializing next to his ancient counterpart. A similar worried expression creased his brow as he watched another one of his cousin's monsters reduced to ashes. _"She's usually very calm when it comes to dueling,"_ he added, _"What's going on with her? Her monsters are dropping left and right!"_ Panic weighed down his words, causing the Pharaoh's scowl to deepen. More points dropped on each side of the field, but Marik was still in the lead.

_You can do this, Amari. _He found himself encouraging silently. _Concentrate._

Amari was losing it. Over half her vision was now consumed by darkness, and what she could see was not helping her. So far all of the cards she'd pulled had been less than satisfactory, not allowing her to form a strategy at all. She was well on her way to losing this duel.

Across the field, Marik had three monsters at his disposal and one face-down card. She already assumed it to be a trap, so moving either of her monsters to attack was a bad idea at the moment. Again she looked down at her hand, praying that by some miracle she could find a way to win this.  
It didn't help that her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"_Relax,"_ Rune urged soothingly, a calm voice amidst the panic coursing through Amari's body. _"Take a deep breath and pull your next card. We can do this, Hikari. Be strong" _Trying to follow the ancient spirit's advice, Amari inhaled deeply and drew her next card. But as she gripped it she lost her hold on it, and the card slipped through her fingers and down through the cracks of her platform.

"No!" she hissed. At the same time, snickering started at the other end of the arena. Amari could barely make out Marik's form, him now being nothing more than a shadowed blur, but she doubted anyone else found this situation funny.

"Having trouble, are we?" he mocked. Though he was only trailing a few hundred points above her, he seemed to barely have any trouble seeing at all.

"_He's a creature who thrives in darkness,"_ Rune spat. _"Of course this Shadow Game would not affect him as strongly." _Amari mustered a glare at him, though she could barely make out where he was.

"No," she growled stubbornly, drawing another card from her deck before he could retort with another taunting remark. Amari looked down at the card she had pulled, and a broad smile possessed her mouth. "I summon The Agent of Judgment- Saturn!" she announced gleefully. To her right exploded a prism of light, and a beautiful man with indigo wings stood poised for battle. Though the card's effect wouldn't be able to work, it was still more powerful than Marik's Lord Poison. "Now, attack!"

Saturn rushed forward towards Marik's monster, his arms raised high as he prepared for a cosmos-centered attack. Marik grinned wildly across the field, but Amari could not see it.

"Not so fast," Marik called out. "I activate my trap card—Nightmare Mirror!" Amari gasped. With that trap in effect, her attack will bounce back onto her. She'd only be left with 400 life points!  
Saturn let out his attack, only managing to slice through the other monster with no effect as it passed through a mirror. The attack reflected itself in her direction, and Amari's hands flew up to brace herself.

Amari staggered back, her breathing labored. Her life points went down to 400, and she lost most of the rest of her vision. All she could make out now her black shapes covered in a dense haze. She looked down at her hand, horrified to see she could no longer make out her cards.

"_No_," she whispered, her heart squeezing painfully in her chest. Her hands shook violently, causing her to drop the rest of the cards in her hand. Amari clutched the sides of her head, tears falling in panic down her cheeks. She couldn't duel anymore. She was finished.

As Amari sunk to her knees, the dueling arena began to shut down. The monsters on both ends of the field faded away back into nothingness, but the dome of darkness stayed where it was. Marik strode across the field towards her. Amari heard as her cards fell from her disk and scattered along her platform, followed by a low chuckle. She froze.

"Pathetic," Marik sneered, clutching a fistful of her hair. She didn't cry out as he pulled her head up. She felt something sharp graze the side of her cheek, but the pain felt far away. She was numb all over. Fear gripped her too tightly to feel anything else.

"_Hikari, snap out of it!"_ Rune cried, her voice panicked. Her cry was followed by a flurry of others. She thought she recognized them, but they were too muffled for her to be certain. A strange heat spread from her cheek, engulfing her in a searing pain. Despite the pitch darkness around her, Amari's vision suddenly flooded with light. Her head exploded in pain. She heard herself shrieking, but it was soft compared to Rune's agonized screams. The bracelet on her wrist grew hotter with each cry that ripped from her chest. Something was tearing within her, something she knew couldn't be fixed once it was undone. Amari reached out, her fingers digging into something soft. Liquid wetted the tips of her fingers. She wanted it to stop. She had to stop it before it became too late.

"_Amari!" _she heard Rune cry, and in her mind's eye saw her reaching out towards her. She wanted to reach for her as well, but she found she couldn't unlatch herself from whatever her fingers were digging into. Amari began to cry.

"Rune I can't let go!" she sobbed. Rune's eyes went wide as a dark vine wrapped itself around her ankle. She tried to shake it off but more vines shot out of the darkness to restrain her. Amari watched in horror as more and more vines entrapped Rune and began to drag her further into the darkness. She fought with herself to release her fingers, but her body refused to obey her. She cried out as Rune began to slip away.

"Rune, don't go!" Amari cried. Tears fell from the ancient spirit's eyes, but she put her hands down. She yelled something to her, but nothing came out of her mouth. Amari screamed as the rest of Rune was sucked into the shadows. The searing light faded away, and Amari felt her fingers release before the rest of her fell to the bottomless pit.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**DANG you guys are lucky! I originally wasn't planning to finish up this chapter until my Winter break, but I was itching to get this scene over with as soon as possible, so I could get to the better parts of the story. **  
**In other news, I just thought I'd let you guys know that I haven't even watched YuGiOh in years, so I totally forget how many life points they have to start with. I had one site tell me 8000, another site tell me 4000, and yet another tell me 2000 (I even had one say 16000 which I knew wasn't right). I went with the number that appeared most on the sites, and that just ended up being 4000. If I'm wrong, just pretend I'm right. I hate duels to begin with, and I really don't feel like going into more detail with this one. **  
**Speaking of duels, this is the best one you're going to get. Again I say I hate them, so I like to avoid writing them when I can get away with just a brief summary of what's going on. Deal with it. (just kidding. don't hate me.)**

**Better news! I already wrote out the next chapter! Bad news? It's saved on a computer no longer within reach of my phalanges. As soon as my sister sends me a copy via whatever, I'll put it up. Expect it soon! (just not too soon. You know me.)**

**-M_q_**


	32. My Guardian Angel

**Chapter Thirty-One; **_My Guardian Angel_

Darkness. All that surrounded her was darkness. There weren't any shadows. The entire space was shadow, a void. How long had she been here? She couldn't be certain. It could have been an hour, or a day, or a thousand years. Time no longer existed. There was only the darkness, the nothing.

_Slap, slap, slap_. What a strange noise. It sounded like bare feet on a dusty floor. It grew louder, closer with each small pause. _Slap, slap, slap._

A shaft of dazzling light blinded her, burning every sense of her as something lifted her from her resting place. Wind rushed past her, the strange sound now below her. _Slap, slap_.

Why couldn't she _see _anything? She couldn't even see the light, only sensing it was there, flooding the places where darkness once grasped. She felt disoriented, confused, and possibly even afraid.  
No, not afraid, but another emotion that was very similar to fear. She felt exhilarated, adrenaline coursing through her entire being. She felt _alive_.

The strange sound below her fell away, replaced by muted thumps that sounded similar to someone running across sand. The wind around her became uneven as she began to bob up and down in time with the strange thumping. Soon that sound even fell away, replaced by heavy breathing. The wind around her stopped, and only then could she hear the voices.

"It's beautiful!" someone gasped in front of her, and she felt a small transfer of air swirl around her. It stopped as quickly as it had started, leaving her giddy. "Are you sure you won't get in trouble?" The voice sounded light and musical, giving her the impression it was a child speaking. Why was there a child here?

"No one ever enters that room," another voice assured the first. "It was all covered in dust. No one will even know it's gone," Again this voice was high-pitched, making her believe it was a child speaking. What was happening? Why were there children in this place? How was it possible for them to reach her?

She wanted to talk to them, to ask them these questions, but she could not even see them. She wasn't even certain she _had _a body anymore—let alone a mouth to speak with—after being alone in the nothingness.

Another sensation of light flooded her senses, but this time the encounter left her with something extremely precious. She could see! As her eyes adjusted, she saw a person standing before her. He was a child, appearing around the cusp of adolescence. He possessed the dark skin common to her people, but his eyes and hair were quite a rare appearance. She had seen a few foreigners in her time with the same light hair as this boy, but the eyes were such an exotic color. Never before had she seen such beautiful eyes.

But how was she the same height as this child? Such a thing could not be possible, not with the age difference between them. Her gaze shifted down to the gold band on her wrist, and a voice not of her own came out of her mouth: "I really like it. Thank you, Malik,"

Things fell into place for her in that instant. She had been correct in thinking she no longer had a physical body. This was the body of the other child she had heard earlier, and she was wearing her Sennen Item.

But if this child now had her bracelet, and she was now with it, where was her body? Random images flashed though her mind as she tried to remember: The Nile stretching before her, the heat of the afternoon sun, a black sky, the color red, a flash reflecting off gold—

She broke off her thoughts, freezing when she felt a small zap, like an electrical jolt, course through her. The child froze as well, and for a moment she felt their minds connect.

"Mar, you okay?" the boy asked, looking worried. After another few seconds, the other child murmured a shaky reply.

"I'm okay," she answered quietly. She stayed frozen. Had the child seen what she had seen? It wasn't impossible.

She and the two children turned their heads at the sound of another voice—a woman's voice—traveling up over the dunes. Not long after, a woman in strange clothing made her way towards him. The children took each other's hands, their eyes meeting.

"I don't want to go," the child whimpered, and she felt her tiny heart clench tightly. The boy looked just as pained, and he relayed his feelings by putting pressure on her hand.

"I'll miss you," he said. "I don't want you to go, either." The other did her best to hold back tears as they hugged each other.

"Why'd they have to go to heaven and leave me here?" she cried weakly into the boy's shoulder. "Why'd they have to die, Malik?"

"Amari, dear, it's time to say good-bye," The woman said, taking the child's arm to lead her away. The child struggled, not wanting to break the hug, but the woman was persistent. She felt everything in her prickle angrily as the child began to cry. She wanted to defend the child from this woman, but she didn't know how.

The woman successfully tore the children apart and began to drag the other child away, leaving the boy too look on with a pained expression. She could see tears staining his face as well, but he turned away when someone called his name from behind him. All the while, the child was screaming, "I don't wanna leave! I want Momma! Momma!" as the woman led her back over the dunes as towards a waiting car.

"Amari, sweetie, your grandfather is very excited to meet you," the woman said, trying to soothe the child as the door shut behind them. The child's outburst had reduced to quiet sniffling by this time, and the woman looked down at her in worry. She smoothed down the child's hair awkwardly. "You'll be alright, love. You're not alone," she cooed, her voice full of pity.

She felt as another wave of sadness passed through the child, and she desperately wished she could comfort the child.

"_Don't cry,"_ she thought, not knowing if the child would even be able to hear her. _"I'm here with you. Don't cry," _For a moment she felt another shock, followed by a feeling of confusion, and finally a sense of peace. The child calmed back down, her tears stopping in their tracks. Perhaps the child was able to hear her, after all.

The child was asleep in her seat, her tiny chest rising and falling in a slow tempo as she curled herself up in the tiny space by the window, clutching the pillow the attendant had given her in her tiny fists. She was able to look at her now, having found a way to see the world from outside the small body she now shared with the child.

The world had changed so much since she had first entered the darkness, making her believe the world had moved on far into the future while she was trapped there. Right now they were traveling in some large metal bird. She thought it might be the work of magic, but if that were the case then everyone in this time must have been able to harness it. Everywhere she looked, people were fiddling with some heathen device.

It had surprised her, at first, how much the child looked like her in her youth. Her dark hair was a bit shorter, and her skin was lighter, but the similarities were close to identical. She could be a close descendant, assuming her brother had survived long enough to have an heir, but she was skeptical. The child too closely resembled her to just be a distant grand-niece of some sort.

"Who are you?" She turned her attention out of her thoughts and back onto the child, who was now staring up at her with half-open eyes. She had been too wrapped up in her mystery that she hadn't noticed the child had awoken. But, now there was another mystery. How could the child _see _her?

"It was you who told me not to cry, wasn't it?" the child asked when she did not answer. "Momma told me that everyone gets a guardian angel when they're born. Are you mine?"

She stayed quiet, merely looking down into the child's glossed-over eyes. She could just still be sleeping, but a small flicker within them told her she was very much alert behind her tired eyes. She thought over how she felt when the child's heart had been breaking, how she had wanted—more than anything—to protect her.

"_Yes,"_ she answered softly. _"I am your guardian angel." _The child nodded, as if the point had been obvious all along, and she put her head down to return to sleep.

"Good," she mumbled. "I was hoping you were. You're really pretty," She felt herself smile, but the smile quickly faded when the child added in a soft whisper, "Can you tell Momma and Papa I miss them, for me, Angel? I miss them a lot."

Yes, she would protect this child. She would make a vow now to do so. With a ghostly hand, she reached down to smooth down the child's dark hair, resulting in causing her small body to shiver slightly. No matter what happened from this point forward, the girl would become the most important thing to her. She would love this child and protect her. She would defend this child until the oblivion came to claim them both. This was her vow.

Amari opened her eyes, and for a few fleeting moments felt a sense of panic overwhelm her when all she could see was blackness. Was she still blind from the duel? A small shaft of moonlight told her otherwise as it crossed over the covers of her cot.

On either side of her was a mass of darker shadows, whom Amari recognized to be Yugi and Aki. Both were hunched over, their heads resting in their arms as one of their hands held each of hers. A lump formed in the back of her throat.

The action of her stirring awake jolted the other two out of their own sleep, and they stared at her in the soft moonlight, their eyes bright and confused.

"Amari," they breathed as one, and they threw themselves onto her, their tears wetting her cheeks and hair.

"I was so afraid!" cried Aki, pulling away to show a face red with anger and smiling with relief. "We thought you were gone from us,"

"How is this possible?" Yugi asked, wiping away his own tears and taking her hand in his once more. "We saw Marik use the Sennen Rod on you. How come he didn't take your soul?"

For awhile Amari said nothing, her eyes hollow as an emptiness settled in her chest. Something was missing, and she knew exactly who it was.

"Because my soul wasn't the one he wanted in the first place," she spoke softly, her voice monotonous. She stared into the eyes of her cousin, letting her own tears spill forth. The Pharaoh met his gaze, his eyes a mixture of fury and sorrow. "I'm so sorry," she said to him. "Rune's gone."

* * *

**Author's note;**

**Guys. I'm so ready to be finished with this story. It's, like, so close to the end of this that all I wanna do is write and write so it can be done. (Then I can work of the sequel! Yay. )**  
**Don't worry, though, I'm still putting all my abilities into writing this. I'd feel very unaccomplished if I finished this on a blah note. So rejoice, because now chapters should be flying out of me fairly quickly.**

**-Mq**


	33. Accord

**Chapter Thirty-two;** _Accord_

An hour after she awoke the physician on board rendered Amari healthy enough to return to her own room. Amari couldn't help but wonder if he was anticipating the arrival of more comatose bodies and therefore wanted as many beds available as possible. She fell down onto her own bed with a heavy plop, curling into a tight ball and hardly daring to breathe. Clutched in her fist was _Gear Golem the Moving Fortress_, the card that had slipped through her fingers during the duel. In bitterness she realized that if she had put it into play, it would have won her the duel. She wouldn't be left here feeling empty.

Ever since she realized Rune was gone, her chest felt heavy, like something was crushing her and had succeeded in cracking her ribs to puncture her heart. Her eyes stung, no longer having tears to shed. She didn't want to do anything, least of all face Marik. Bile rose in her throat. _His_ was the first face that had come to mind when she was told to return to her room. No doubt he was waiting for her to complete her end of the bargain.

Amari shot up as she heard her door open, her heart leaping into her throat as she broke out into a cold sweat. Was he here already? It couldn't be! She had wanted some more time to think. The person stepped forward.

"Oh, Anzu," she sighed, relief washing over her. "God, you scared me. I thought- well, that doesn't matter," She waved off the rest of her sentence with the back of her hand. "Did you need something?"

"Amari," Anzu spoke, but her voice sounded strange. Amari crinkled her brow.

"Are you feeling alright?" Amari questioned. "Sit down for a bit," Anzu shook her head, taking another step towards her. Only then did Amari notice the subtle flicker in Anzu's eyes.

For a quick second, they were lavender. Amari covered her mouth. Her lips trembled.

"Malik? B-but it can't-?" she cut herself off and Anzu nodded.

"It is," she spoke. Amari hugged him, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Oh Malik!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry," Malik didn't return her hug, but instead pulled away from her.

"I don't have much time," he said. "I can only borrow this body for short amounts of time before my soul is weakened. I'm here to warn you," Amari wiped her eyes with tight lips. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to resist the urge to embrace him again.

"If it's about Marik, I'm afraid you're too late," she laughed weakly. "I already lost to him. I've lost my chance at saving you," She bit her lip before she could start crying again. Malik speculated her for a few seconds before grasping her by the shoulders.

"No you haven't," he vowed. "We still have the Pharaoh, don't we?" Amari blanched, her deal with the dark entity already close to the surface of her mind. She forced herself to nod.

"Malik, did you hear me before?" she asked softly. "I mean, when Marik and I were talking by the railing. Could you hear us?" She searched his borrowed eyes for any signs of recognition as he thought quietly.

"No," he answered flatly, causing her heart to plummet.

_He doesn't know that I tried to save him_. She thought, crestfallen, and was surprised to find the thought hurt worse than she imagined it could. Malik grimaced, pulling Amari away from her thoughts. "What is it?" she asked, panicked.

"My hold on Anzu is slipping," he grunted. "I don't have much longer to spend here," Amari grabbed his hand, her heart fluttering. She was going to lose him again.

"Malik, don't leave yet!" she cried. "I need to know something from you first,"

"Ask it quickly then," he replied, Anzu's eyes beginning to lose their lavender hue. "I'm losing control,"

"After all this is over, are you ever going to forgive me?" she choked out, her throat tight as more tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Malik looked surprised, but after a few moments squeezed her hand.

"I'd never have wasted my soul if I hadn't," he said before the rest of his spirit left Anzu. The girl stumbled for a few moments, using the side of the couch as balance. She looked dazed for a few seconds before shaking out the haziness collected in her mind.

"What happened?" she mumbled, rubbing her temples. "Amari, why am I in your room? How'd I get here?" She looked over at Amari, her confused smile fading as she glanced on her face. "Amari, why are you crying? Did something happen?" Amari didn't say anything as she slowly sank to the floor. For some reason her chest really hurt. Anzu stared over her, confused, and timidly rubbed her back as she silently began to weep.

Anzu left not long after, when Amari finally convinced the concerned brunette that she was just confused and needed more sleep. She sighed, running a hand through her hair, only to pause halfway when the action reminded her of Malik. Her heart clenched, as did her jaw, but she forced herself to breathe in as she numbly went to lay back down on her bed. She wasn't tired.

Just as she threw the covers back, there was a knock on her door.

_Anzu must have forgotten something. _She thought with a light sigh and went back over to the door. She pressed the lock to let the door slide open. "Anzu, can't it wait until t—" she stopped mid-sentence, the rest of her words dying in her throat. She took a step back, then another, and Marik strode in soon after. The door shut obediently behind him.

"Expecting someone else?" he remarked with a quirked eyebrow. "I saw one of the Pharaoh's ilk leave here not too long ago. It gave me the sudden urge to… see how you were coping," He ended the remark with a savage grin.

"You bastard," she whimpered, her voice trembling too much to hold any vehemence. His grin widened, forcing her to take another step back.

"I am a great deal of things, but a bastard I certainly am not," he answered cheerfully. His expression quickly darkened, though, as he advanced on her. Amari backed up until her legs hit the back of the couch, giving her nowhere else to go. His hands pinned her on either side, his lavender eyes bearing down on her. "You can't run from me, Khawan," He hissed. "I won, and I want my prize. I want it tonight,"

"Tonight?" she repeated in a gasp, heart leaping into her throat. She stammered for her next words. "_Please_, Marik, I'm still recovering from the duel! You can't expect me to-"

"_I do_," he growled, lifting his one hand away to pull something out from behind his back. The dagger he held flashed as it caught the reflection of the moon still visible through the window. He held it out in front of her, allowing her to see the studded jewels and hieroglyphics etched into the hilt. "This dagger is a part of the treasure uncovered with the Nameless Pharaoh's tomb." He told her, pulling away his other hand to run his thumb along the blade in a light caress. "I think it's only fitting to use this to end the job…" He let his voice die off, eyeing her horrified expression with speculation. He held it out to her again, eyes unreadable. "Take it."

Fear lodging her throat, the best Amari could do was shake her head. The darkness flickering in his eyes consumed her, freezing her in place as he roughly grabbed her left wrist. "_Take _it," he growled again, "or your blood will be the first it tastes," Her entire body trembled as he pushed the cold metal into her palm. He covered her pale fingers with his tan ones, forcing them to curl tightly around the hilt of the knife. "Tonight," he repeated softly. "I'll be waiting in my room. Next time I see this dagger, it better be soaked red." He let go of her and stepped back, his intense gaze rooting her to her place. She didn't have the strength to break away from his stare until he finally turned and walked back out into the hallway.

As soon as he disappeared she fell into a trembling heap on the carpeted floor. She covered her mouth to hold back the bile burning the back of her throat. She didn't even feel the knife as it slipped through her fingers.

She was out of time. She would have to kill Yugi tonight.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Suspense is suspenseful! I really gotta stop leaving you guys on these awful cliffhangers.  
**

**-M_q_  
**


	34. Eleventh Hour

**Chapter Thirty-three**; _Eleventh Hour_

Her prayers went unanswered when Yugi's door opened without difficulty.  
With reluctant steps she entered the threshold, her shadow blanketing the boy curled up in his borrowed bed. Her eyes broke away from him to take in the Puzzle resting peacefully on his desk. Quietly as possible she made her way over to it, pocketing the knife to cradle it in her trembling hands. Her fingers felt frozen as she placed it around her neck. She was surprised by the weight as the chain pressed heavily against the back of her neck. How could Yugi wear this? It felt at least ten pounds!

She looked down into the Puzzle's golden eye, shifting her gaze between it and its mirror-like counterpart on her wrist. In the moonlight, the Sennen Bracelet winked at her. Before she had always found the Bracelet quite beautiful, but tonight it had never looked more hideous. The horror she was about to create tinted everything around her in an ugly light.

Yugi stirred in his bed, but he didn't awake. His breath rose and fell in a slow rhythm, his nightshirt unbuttoned slightly to reveal his skinny chest. He was exposed above his heart, as if awaiting the plunge of Amari's knife.

Amari sat at the edge of the bed, her entire body trembling uncontrollably as she stared down on the innocent face of the last of her beloved family. She felt sick. She couldn't do this. She just _couldn't._

Marik's voice echoed in her mind, chilling her back into harsh reality. _"He will become the last sacrifice whether you kill him or not. The only difference is whether the murderer is you or me." _She knew he'd meant it. There was no reason why he wouldn't. In this way, she was saving Yugi. This was mercy.

She took a steady breath, removing the dagger's hilt from her belt loop. The ruby eye of the beast carved delicately into its gold design shone intensely, hungrily snarling in her mind. _Do it._ It seemed to say. _Stain this blade and quench my thirst. Do it! _She covered the vile beast with her fist, knuckles pale as she forced her arm to stop shaking. She raised it high above her head, directly over Yugi's heart.

Light burst forth in a brilliant display of power from the middle of the Puzzle. The light caught hold of the eye on her wrist, and it grew hot enough to burn her, biting her skin. With a cry Amari dropped the knife, and it clattered to the floor as the light quickly went out.

Yugi snapped awake, sitting straight up in bed with disoriented alertness. It took him a couple of seconds to focus, and when he did he stared at her in surprise.

"Amari? What are you doing in-" he stopped midsentence, eyeing first the tears streaming down her face, then the Puzzle hanging from her neck. "What's going on?"

Amari didn't hold back. Her face crumpled, and she released all the pent-up anxiety she'd been carrying. Her tears came forth in an unstoppable torrent. She buried her face in Yugi's covers, all the while repeating, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Yugi went to stand, his foot coming into contact with something hard on the ground. He looked down in surprise, a sickening sensation sliding into his gut when he spotted the knife. He looked back at his hysterical cousin, a freezing realization dawning on him. He was unsure whether to feel anger or horror. He chose nausea.

He placed a firm hand on her back, sitting as close to her on the bed as her hunched frame would allow. "Amari," he said, attempting a soothing tone, but it failed past his cracking voice. "Amari, you have to calm down and look at me." As if she hadn't heard him, Amari continued her agonized mantra. The Puzzle was cradled between her chest and the mattress, but its glow still shone through to Yugi. He made another attempt to get her to sit up. "Amari, please look at me!" he begged, his strained voice holding more authority.

She obeyed, but her apologies didn't cease. "Amari, give me the Puzzle," he said. At first she looked like she hadn't understood, but before he could repeat his request her trembling fingers went to unclasp the chain. The Puzzle fell from her neck uselessly, and Yugi snatched it up quickly to loop around his own neck.

Instantaneously his personality switched with the Pharaoh's. He grasped her shoulders firmly, his eyes intensely glued to hers. Her wails had reduced to small whimpers, but her eyes glossed over in fresh tears when she realized it was the Pharaoh facing her.

"I'm sorry," she repeated weakly, her voice breaking as her body trembled under his touch. His grip on her tightened.

"I know," he murmured comfortingly, his voice going firm, "but you have to explain to my why you've done this," Amari stared up at him, her expression slightly shocked. As if dazed, she slowly turned her gaze from him, to the knife on the floor, to her own trembling hands. When she looked up at him again, her emerald eyes were shining with bewilderment.

"I just wanted to help him," she whispered meekly. "He's my best friend!" The Pharaoh stared down at the fragile girl, half with anger and half with pity. He held her close to him, coaxing her to tell him everything. Between heavy tears and more half-babbled apologies, she revealed how Malik wasn't in control anymore. She told him how she'd approached Marik, how she'd struck a deal with him in hopes of saving her childhood friend. While he listened, the Pharaoh held her tightly to him, smoothing down her hair as she poured out her heart.

When she finally calmed down he allowed her to pull away from him. The Pharaoh sighed, rubbing his face warily as he gave her a weighted stare. She fidgeted, but at least her tears had stopped.

"Why didn't you _say_ anything?" he demanded heavily. When she didn't answer, nor showed any evidence of doing so, he bent down to pick the dagger up off the floor. "We need to get rid of this." He said, his voice low.

Amari nodded but didn't say anything, instead following his lead as he rose from the bed. Before he could walk out the door she grabbed his sleeve, and he turned to her with a questionable stare. She fumbled with the clasp on the Sennen Bracelet, her fingers trembling as she held the band of gold out to him.

"I-I can't wear this anymore," she told him in a quavering voice. "I can't use it without Rune. I don't even _deserve_ it for what I almost did," The Pharaoh opened his mouth to speak, but Amari quickly cut him off. "_Please_," she begged, "just take it. Please," The Pharaoh pressed his lips into a thin line, but he nodded tightly. With the Sennen Bracelet in one hand and the knife in the other, he led Amari to the blimp's platform.

But as they neared the metal doors the Pharaoh stopped abruptly, causing Amari to bump into his back.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Something isn't right," he answered solemnly. Pocketing the Bracelet, he grabbed hold of her hand and stepped cautiously through the sliding door.

A familiar, black dome welcomed them, as did the manic laughter of Marik. Shivers ran up Amari's spine, and she instinctively shrunk back. They reached the edge of it, and they could make out the forms of Bakura and Marik through the inky gloom. Amari thought she could see another shape hovering to the side of the thief, but every time she tried to concentrate on it, it would evade her sight.

Ignoring the fact he had an audience, Marik called out his next move. Within moments, the Winged Dragon of Ra burst forth onto the field, raising a terrible shriek into the heavens. Amari tensed. She was the only one who had faced Marik without Ra being summoned, yet that beast terrified her more than she ever could imagine. Instinctly she turned her attention to Bakura, wanting to see his own reaction to the magnificent beast.

Her eyes widened. He was standing there, a crazed smile on his lips, with arms stretched out as if to welcome the attack to condemn him. But that wasn't the thing that grabbed her attention.

"_Malik!_" She screeched, gaining the attention of every person surrounding her. Marik paused in his attack, his eyes snapping to her instantly. She could feel his intense eyes on her, but she couldn't care in this moment. She felt the Pharaoh's arm grab hold of her, firmly keeping her from jumping onto the field.

Malik's spirit turned to her, his expression a mixture of pain and fear. He was trying to say something, but she couldn't hear him. She felt a shock of agony as she recognized this scene between her and Rune before she was devoured by the shadows.

In the back of her mind she heard Marik call out his attack. A roaring filled her ears, and suddenly Bakura and Malik were blown away by a fierce light. Bakura's laughter resonated in the space around them, but as it faded away it took the rest of the world's noises with it. The dark dome lifted, and all that was left of Bakura's side of the field was the Sennen Ring.

He was gone. There was nothing left of him. All the breath left her as she felt her legs lose strength. The Pharaoh's grip tightened as he kept her from falling. Her trembling fingers covered her mouth as her own heartbeat pounded wildly in her ears. He was gone. Just like Rune, he was gone.

Marik strode across to the other platform, leaning down to pick the Ring up off the floor. He turned, facing the pair, his eyes calculating and fierce. Amari's eyes locked with his, and her entire body froze. His eyes told her the terrible truth:

She had failed to complete her end of the bargain. She would be punished.

Reading the fear in her, his mouth split into a terrible grin. Tilting his head back, he let out a chilling laugh. The Pharaoh held her close to his as he past them, but when he turned their way again his gaze did not meet hers.

"Be prepared," he hissed. "Your end is near," The Pharaoh said nothing in reply, his teeth gnashing angrily as Marik left.

"Damn him," he growled. "I will kill him. Evil like that has no place in this world," He let go of her suddenly, enough to make her sway and have a need to keep her balance. She turned slowly to see him heading towards the blimp's railing. She ran to catch up with him, just in time to see the dagger fly through the air and fall into the ocean far below. She watched it go with unseeing eyes, her mind focused on Malik's last moments. Why were the ones she cared about most being ripped away from her so cruelly?

As if reading her thoughts, the Pharaoh wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the salty winds and the remnants of darkness whipping around them.

"Don't worry," he murmured low into her hair. "I'll get them back. I'll save them all, so stop trying to do everything by yourself," Amari didn't reply, but buried her face into his strong shoulder. His nightshirt became stained where her silent tears fell, but neither of them cared or bothered to notice.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Guys, I made another mistake. Malik's possession of Anzu was supposed to happen _after _the duel between Bakura and Marik. **  
**Buuut, lets just say for the sake of the plot that this is correct and just move on with the story.**

**But on another note, sorry that it's been so long. I'm home for break now, so you should be seeing a steady stream of updates from me soon.**  
**Speaking of, I've seen a lot of you have stopped reviewing. Normally I wouldn't care, but it makes me feel like you guys are becoming uninterested in the story now. I don't know if some of you dropped out or just stopped reviewing or what, but I'd really appreciate a review every now and then so I know you guys still like this.**  
**I'm not doing this for me, remember.**

**Forever yours,**

**-M_q_**

**ps, happy new year! Only two more until the end of the world, so enjoy it! (just kidding)**


	35. Chasm

**Chapter Thirty-Four:**_ Chasm_

Amari awoke to the sun shining in her eyes. The curtain covering her window was wide open, showing her neglect in closing it the night before. She dangled her feet off the bed, her head resting in her open palms as the memories of last night came rushing to the front of her mind. Rune was gone, Malik was lost, and she had almost killed her cousin, all because she thought she could face Marik by herself. And now she had managed to land herself back into mortal peril. She was a fool.

Biting back the sob tightening her throat she got up, going over to her temporary closet to dress for the day.

Come to think of it, why was everything so eerily quiet? The last duel to be played in the semi-finals had been her own, so she doubted they would be gathered on the platform. Was everyone still sleeping?

Amari glanced over at the clock, seeing it read one in the afternoon. No, definitely not still sleeping. Had she missed something? Curiously she looked outside of her room, staring down each end of the hallway. Nothing was moving. Strange.

_Wait a second, _she thought, a realization dawning on her. Closing the door, she strode back over to her window and glanced outside. She was met with, not the sky or a blanket of clouds, but land. Nothing was moving. _Not even the blimp._

Amari dashed out of her room, sprinting down the hall until she reached the boy's wing. She pounded on Yugi's door. "Yugi! Can you hear me? Open up!" She stopped pounding when she didn't receive a reply. _He must have left the blimp_. She concluded, going back down the hall to see if anyone else was around. _What is going on?_

As she neared her own room she noticed Ishizu's door sliding shut. Amari made a beeline for it and knocked loudly on the door. Ishizu greeted her with surprise.

"Amari? I didn't expect you to still be here-"

"May I come in?" she interrupted breathlessly. Ishizu paused before nodding and inviting her in. "Where is everyone?" she asked, sitting down in the same place as her last visit. Ishizu sat opposite her, smoothing out her dress as she did so.

"We've made a forced landing." She answered. "There was a challenge made by a young boy to everyone on board, and so they left to accept that challenge."

"Then why didn't you leave?" Amari asked, but the look in her eyes already told Amari the answer: because Marik hadn't left either.

Amari stood up, her voice quavering. "Are you trying to tell me that the only people left on this blimp are you, me, and the evil spirit who plans to kill me?" Ishizu stared up at her, remarkably calm.

"I doubt he knows that you are still on board," Ishizu said in a calm voice. "Most probably he believes you're staying close to the Pharaoh in order to protect yourself from him. If you quietly return to your room and wait for the others to come back…" she trailed off, her eyes focusing on Amari's right wrist. "Amari," she asked in a tight voice, "where is the Sennen Bracelet?"

Amari instinctively looked down at her wrist where the gold band once hung. She rubbed the bare skin uncomfortably. Now that she thought about it, this was the first time in six years that she had taken it off. Suddenly, she felt vulnerable and exposed.

"I gave it to the Pharaoh," she said, "It's not like I can use it anymore. Besides, he needs it more than I do," Ishizu's face went slightly pale as she pressed her lips into a thin line.

"I wouldn't be too certain of that," she answered softly.

With one last, stern warning for her to be careful, Ishizu left to go check on Rashid, and Amari quickly snuck back into her own room. She leaned her forehead up against the cool metal, heaving a heavy sigh. She had no idea when the others would return, and in the meantime she couldn't leave her room for fear of running into-

Amari jerked back, and she hit the wall with alarming speed. She gasped, the impact forcing the air from her lungs as she slid to the floor. Out of the shadow of the bathroom door came Marik, the Sennen Rod raised in his right hand. Amari stared up at him in horror, still trying to breathe in. She attempted to scoot back, but there was nowhere else to go. Marik stared down at her with an unreadable expression, the darkness in his eyes swirling stronger than she had ever seen it before.

"Foolish girl," he said. "By giving your Item back to the Pharaoh, you've left yourself vulnerable to me," he kneeled down in front of her, his face close enough for her to feel his breath on her cheeks, "and now there is no one around to save you,"

"How?" she gasped. "How did you know I was here?" Marik grinned viciously, twirling a bit of her hair between his fingers.

"How could I not have known with all the noise you made?" he countered, and her heart skipped a beat. So, he'd been around when she had gone looking for Yugi. Yet again she had done something dangerously stupid.

Amari felt as her whole body began to shake. She was afraid, terrified even, of the man now kneeling before her. He was so close. She could still feel his breath on her cheeks, his fingers intertwined in her hair, and all around them was the darkness. It whispered to her, reminded her of her weakness, her foolishness. It told her he was planning to kill her. She closed her eyes.

"Please," she heard herself whisper. It was her last, feeble attempt to get him to show mercy. "Please,"

Marik's smile fell out of sight, the darkness behind his eyes swirling violently at her request. With a growl he grasped her by the neck, hauling her to her feet as she clawed against him, gasping for air. The wounds he'd received from her after their duel reopened as she added more scratch marks to his skin.

"You want _mercy_?" he hissed, his voice rising above her pitiful gasps as she struggled uselessly. "After all that you've done, you expect me to _forgive_ you?" He released her, and she fell back onto the floor, but no sooner had she taken a breath she went flying through the air, landing face down on the bed. She attempted to sit up, but her body felt pinned. Her mind panicked as she realized she couldn't move.

"Feels, strange, doesn't it?" Marik asked as his knee pressed into the middle of her back, causing her to cry out in pain. "Being bound without any real restraints. That's what the Sennen Rod can do, you know. It can make you feel trapped, even if there is nothing on you," He bent down close to her ear, causing her neck hairs to stand on end. "I've said it before, haven't I, Khawan? You can't escape me,"

"Please," she heard herself cry again, her fear surfacing as a sob. "Please, Marik, don't do this! Please!" Above her she heard as he unsheathed the hidden dagger from the Sennen Rod.

"The more you say that word, the more I feel like harming you," he stated flatly as he sliced her shirt to expose her back. She began to sob as he lightly traced the sharp point along her skin. He stopped tracing when he reached the bone of her right shoulder. "Now then," he said as he pressed the point harder into her flesh, "Let the punishment begin,"

Auron rounded the corner to the living areas just as Marik exited Amari's room. He stopped his advance, watching as his master wiped the dagger clean before sheathing it within the Sennen Rod. Afterwards Marik finally decided to acknowledge his servant and wordlessly walked towards him. As he passed, Auron stiffened.

"There's a bit of a mess in there," he told him. "Clean it up." Without another word he continued down the hall, not giving Auron a second glance. Auron watched him go until he rounded the corner before staring curiously down the hall at the room Marik had just exited.

"A mess, huh?" he muttered, quickly striding over to the door. It opened easily, not to his surprise, and he stepped into the doorway. Instantly he had to cover his nose and mouth, the smell being too powerful for him. It was an odor he recognized but couldn't actually place. It wasn't until he noticed the motionless body on the bed did he remember. Blood. The room reeked of blood.

Auron fought with himself not to gag as he stepped further into the room. The blankets covering the bed were soaked with splotches of almost-black stains, as were the clothes of the person lying on the bed. The dark mass of hair covered the person's face, but it didn't take Auron long to recognize who it was.

"Jesus," he coughed, taking in the horrifying sight. Her shirt was completely shredded, revealing lacerations along her collar bone and shoulder blade. The marks were more clustered along her upper right side, but there were other stray slashes along her middle and lower back. "You idiot," he bit, bile rising to the back of his throat. "I warned you,"

Was she even still alive? He found that hard to believe, looking down on her bloodied body. The place looked like a massacre scene in a horror movie. There were even tiny drops of blood on the floor, little beads that had trickled down from the tiny pools collected on the covers under her. Auron ignored the gore and lifted the hair out of her face. He placed his fingers on her neck. Good, she still had a pulse. Auron straightened and strode quickly over to the bathroom, bringing with him a handful of towels, some wet. He would need to get bandages from the infirmary, and something to make sure the wounds wouldn't become infected. Could he risk it? What if Marik didn't want her to be treated?

_Well, he said to clean up the mess, _he thought to himself as he laid a few of the wet towels across her back. _I guess that would include her, too._

After retrieving better supplies, Auron got busy with cleaning up the crime scene. He started with the covers, stuffing them and any other blood-stained item into a garbage bag and sealed it tight. When he was done there he would tie something heavy around it and toss the bundle into the sea. He knew there was extra bedding in the closet—all the rooms had them—so he didn't worry much about anyone noticing their absence.

Next he removed the stains on the floor with bleach he had found under the sink. The smell was almost worse than the blood, but Auron forced himself to get used to it. Damn it, Marik really _had _made a mess. What on earth had that stupid girl done to piss him off to this extent?

When the floor was clean he turned his sights on Amari. The bleeding hadn't stopped completely, but there was less of it than he had expected. The wounds, especially the ones concentrated on her shoulder, looked like they went pretty deep.

Lightly he began to wipe away the already dried blood. She was still unconscious, so he didn't worry much about hurting her further, but the more of it he wiped away, the more damage he uncovered. He was surprised to feel his eyes start to sting.

"Little fool," he mumbled, and he repeated the insult all through the rest of the process. As he began to clean her shoulder, he noticed there was a bit of a pattern to the slashes left there. He began to recognize a few as Arabic letters. He had no idea what it read, but by the jagged way it had been scratched into her skin, he doubted it was something pleasant.

With her back clean and disinfected, Auron got to work on wrapping up the wounds. He had to lift her slightly as he did so, and the rest of her shirt slid off in the process. In the back of his mind he hoped she wouldn't wake up and start freaking out that he had seen her chest. It wasn't like he was interested in it, anyway, but it would be a huge hassle for him if that occurred.

He was relieved when she stayed unconscious, but as he glimpsed her face he saw tear stains cutting through the blood smeared on her cheeks. His gut clenched. How much pain had she been able to endure before she'd passed out? The thought of it made him sick.

When he was done bandaging her he lifted her up and placed her gently on the couch. Retrieving the extra bedding from the closet he made up her bed. With more care than Auron ever thought he could have for this girl, he placed her on the bed and threw the covers on top of her. Now, she only looked asleep. It was as if the horror he'd walked in upon a few hours ago had only been a gruesome nightmare.

Auron rubbed his face warily, suddenly exhausted. Should he leave her? He'd done what he was told, after all. But still…

"Damn it all," he cussed, grabbing a chair and placing it by the edge of the bed. He turned it around and rested his arms along the back of it, his head propped up. Intently, he watched over her as she slept. For some reason, he felt like he shouldn't leave her side.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**LOL they made me change the story to a mature rating because of this chapter. Apparently, serious injury-even suggested-isn't allowed in the teen section because it includes 9-year-olds. Don't worry, though, I promise this is as graphic as this story shall get.**

**That's all. Just thought I'd explain myself for the rating change.**

**-M_q_**


	36. Scar

**Chapter Thirty-Five: **_Scar_

Amari came to, and her first thought was to wonder whether or not she was dead. She didn't open her eyes, not wanting to discover the answer to that question too quickly. Her back felt like it had been lashed raw by a whip constructed of fire. The pain alone told her she must still be alive. That, or she was in hell.

Mustering up all the courage she had, Amari slowly opened her eyes, afraid of what she might see. She felt a small sense of relief when a familiar white-wash ceiling filled her vision. She wasn't dead, or in hell, but she was lying on her bed in her suite on the blimp. She was still alive.

The more consciousness returned to her, the more intense the burning on her back became. She noticed something move in her peripheral vision and tensed beneath her blankets. She wasn't alone? Did that mean Marik was still here with her? The thought froze her with terror until she forced herself to slowly shift her head to get a better look. She relaxed when she found the person sitting with her to be pale rather than a deep tan.

Auron's attention automatically snapped out of his daydream and focused on Amari when she stirred, and he took in the look of pure relief on her face with sick apprehension. Awkwardly he ran his pale fingers through his equally pale fringe and mumbled a low, "Hey,"

Amari didn't say anything, and after a few seconds her expression faded and devolved into a glossed-over look. Had she gone into shock? Auron fought the grimace wanting to show on his face with surprising difficulty.

"You probably shouldn't move around too much. You were… injured… pretty bad," he hesitated, and by the end of it had to look away from her. God, she looked so pitiful.

She let out a sharp gasp that caused him to quickly turn back to her, and his heart leapt when he saw her trying to sit up. Stumbling over the chair he hurried to help her, supporting her as gently as he could.

"Careful!" he snapped. "Didn't I just tell you not to move around too much? Stupid f-" he broke off when he noticed her shaking under his hands. He glanced at her back, noticing the bandages there stained red. He pursed his lips. "Those need to be changed," he mumbled, nodding his head towards the wrappings covering her torso. Amari stared up at him, still mute, but her eyes were clearer now through the pain she was experiencing. "I'm gonna go find someone to do that,"

As Auron backed away, he was surprised to find her hand reaching up to clasp the hem of his sleeve, the rest of her glossed-over gaze replaced by raw fear. She didn't want him to leave, probably afraid that _he _would come back once she was alone. Auron sighed.

"You don't want_ me_ to change your bandages, do you?" he asked. Her grip loosened, but she didn't let go. Auron removed her hand and for a brief moment held it in his own. "I'll bring someone back quickly, okay? It'll only be a few minutes. I promise," He backed away from her slowly before finally turning his back to her and heading for the door.

Upon exiting the room Auron placed a hand over his mouth, feeling sick. Honestly, he had been expecting worse, like a fit of hysteria or uncontrollable screaming. Still, that had been rough to look at. Such an upbeat person—no matter how foolish—should never look that empty.

Amari fought past the pain spasms along her back in order to have her legs dangle over the side of the bed. Auron said he was bringing someone to change her bandages, and as far as she knew the only possible person was Ishizu. She doubted the others were back yet. It was still much too quiet to prove otherwise. The slant of sunlight pouring through her window and speckling her blankets told her it was morning. She had been unconscious through the entire rest of the previous day, then.

Not too long after the thought occurred Ishizu entered, her blue eyes wide in concern. Quickly she went to Amari's side, cupping her face in her slender fingers as she searched her eyes with her own.

"I'm so, so sorry," she spoke softly, her voice raw with remorse. "I should have had you stay in my room instead of making you return to yours. I foolishly believed you'd be safe. I'm sorry,"

When Amari didn't say anything in reply, Ishizu's eyes began to glisten. Gently she pulled the girl into the lightest of embraces, trying her best to hold back tears.

Finding the bandages right where Auron said they would be, Ishizu quickly went to work. As she rewrapped the wounds she spoke soft nonsense to her, more for a distraction for her than a comfort for Amari. When she finally finished, she laid the girl on her side and smoothed down her hair.

"I'm going to stay here with you for the rest of our time here," she vowed. "I'll change places with the rare hunter from time to time, but I assure you, you won't be alone for more than a few minutes. "

Amari looked up at her, and for the first time since awakening she parted her lips and spoke.

"Will you tell Yugi?" her voice came out in a brittle whisper, like dead leaves crackling in a fire. Ishizu pursed her lips, her eyes filled with both concern and solemnity.

"Amari, he has to know," she finally said. "He will find out soon enough wither way. If I don't tell him, be sure Marik will boast to him at what he's done," Amari cringed at the mention of her attacker's name, and her chest tightened in remembrance. "He's going to want to see you when he returns anyway," she went on. "He'll see the damage done,"

Amari nodded slightly, her jaw clenched and tears dripped down the side of her nose and onto the pillow beneath her.

Ishizu looked over towards the door, hearing as the blimp came to life with the voices of the returning duelists. She looked back over towards Amari, squeezing her hand in gentle reassurance. "I'll be right back," she said and got up to head towards the door.

As she exited, Ishizu leaned herself against the door, a palm pressed to her mouth and tremors shot through her and tears fogged her vision. It had taken all she was not to break down while she was in the room, but as she entered hers she could no longer hold back the horrified sobs wanting to escape her.

She hadn't told this to Amari, not wanting to upset the poor girl farther and cause her more traumas… but while she had been re-wrapping the girl's back she had noticed something very disturbing. The scars on her back had created a pattern, creating a word carved crudely in Arabic. It hadn't taken long for her to decipher its meaning, and she repeated the phrase silently on her lips: "Traitor".

Slowly she sunk to her knees, not even having the strength to make it to the couch. As she sat, crouched hopelessly in her doorway, Ishizu wondered just exactly what other horrors her brother's demon was capable of.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Hello everyone!**

**Unfortunate news is unfortunate. This update is going to be the last for awhile. This isn't done, I proise you that, but I am taking a slight hiatus until I finish up with school and... other stuff. **

**Forgive this lousy writer. She means no harm or tears.**

**-M_q_**


	37. An Unexpected Guest

**Chapter Thirty-Six:** _An Unexpected Guest_

A shock wave of unbelievable pain ran through Amari as her room suddenly jolted, causing her to fall off the bed. She gasped, tears biting her eyes as her back burned. She felt a trickling start as blood seeped heavier from her wounds. Sobs escaped her without her consent, but she was too focused on the pain to notice. What the hell had just happened?

"The undersea fortress has been destroyed in an explosion." Amari froze. A shadow fell over her, the body attached blocking out the light filtering in through the window. Slowly Amari raised her head to face a boy she did not recognize. Her fear turned into a look of confusion.

"Who are you?" she asked incredulously. They boy appeared to be Egyptian, bearing the dark complexion she knew well. His eyes were light blue, shining orbs with pupils as small as a pin head. They stared down at her, unblinking, and in response she felt a shiver run through her. Those eyes gave her the creeps, like he was peering at her soul rather than her flesh and bone.

"I am Shadi," he answered. "But my name is of little importance compared to the situation at hand," Another jolt of turbulence shook the room, sending another spasm of pain through Amari as she clutched the side of the bed. Shadi didn't appear at all effected, not even having to fix his footing as the room trembled. His eyes stayed transfixed on her. "It appears you've become a bit worse for war," he stated flatly, his eyes cold. "You went meddling in the affairs of a demon rather than doing your part in aiding the Pharaoh with his destiny. Quite unproductive of you, Princess."

Amari wanted to muster a glare at him, anger boiling in her gut, but her back throbbed with every beat of her heart and left her only expression to be a grimace. "Shut up!" she snapped between pained gasps. "You don't know anything about that! How the hell did you get in my room, or even on this blimp for that matter?" Though it was obvious she was angry, the breaths she sucked in between each word stole the fire from her lips. Shadi continued to stare down at her, is expression neither condescending nor sympathetic. As she struggled to get off the floor he made no move to help her.

"Again, you're asking questions of little importance," she answered, his gaze drifting towards the window. "Even now we are rapidly approaching the place for the final duels of this tournament. The Pharaoh is going to need your help now more than ever…" He looked back towards her, calculating, solemn. "Unfortunately, you won't be much help in the state you're in now,"

Amari recoiled as if she had just been slapped, and in response her back complained with another spittle of fire. Guilt weighted her down on all sides: for not doing more to stop Rashid, for not being there for Yugi this entire time, for ignoring Aki's own troubles… for letting Rune become devoured thanks to her own selfishness. And, of course, for Malik.

Amari pursed her lips, her arms trembling with the task of pushing herself up from the bed, only to fall again as the room tilted slightly to one side. This time Shadi did move to help her, quickly snatching her up by her arms before she could hit the ground. She cried out at the sudden rough handling, tears pin pricking her eyes as he slowly set her back down on the bed. He eyes bore into hers with such insanity Amari could feel the electricity running between them.

"I can do something about your wounds," he told her with no emotion, "but before that I have to assess whether or not the effort is worth it." Seemingly out of thin air, a golden, ankh-shaped key appeared in his hand, and Amari eyed it with a strange apprehension.

"That's a Sennen Item, isn't it?" she asked.

"The Ankh," Shadi replied in answer. "Now hold still. This will be done in a moment," Before she could ask _what _exactly would be done in a moment, the boy raised the tip of the Ankh to her forehead. A white light flashed in front of her vision, and suddenly she felt herself falling away from the world into the realm of darkness.

As soon as he was back on the residential floor, Yugi headed straight for Amari's room. The entire time he and the others had been stuck in Noah's virtual world he had been regretting leaving her behind, worried that something could happen to her while he was gone. The feeling had only intensified when Marik did not leave the blimp with the rest of them, meaning the two of them had been almost entirely alone. Butterflies erupted in his stomach as he stood outside her door, a cold sweat forming on the back of his neck. He knocked timidly on the door.

"Mar?" he called. "May I come in?" He waited in silence for one minute, two minutes, until he realized he wasn't going to get a reply. The butterflies went crazy, and Yugi pounded hard on the door. Again there was no reply, making him extremely anxious.

"_Open it,"_ the Pharaoh ordered. _"You still have her key password, don't you?"_ Quickly Yugi fumbled for the crumpled piece of paper in his pocket, trying to decipher the numbers despite the terrible trembling of his hands. Clumsily he punched in the numbers, getting the combination wrong twice before the door's light turned green. Without any hesitation he forced his way into the room.

Everything appeared normal. Nothing was damaged or disturbed, save for the clouds passing over the sun and shadowing the room. Amari was laid out on her side and seemingly asleep, and Yugi felt himself relax. Only when the sun shone back into the room did he notice the unnatural way her body was twisted.

"Amari!" he strangled out, his throat going dry as he felt his fears coming to light. He rushed to her side, turning her to a more natural position before cupping her face in his hands. He stared worriedly on her face for a few seconds, examining her for any signs of pain or… he paused his own thoughts, too upsetting to even try to finish them.

"_Look at her complexion,"_ the Pharaoh urged. _"Her skin doesn't seem ashen or pale in any way. Her breathing is normal as well. She might have just passed out,"_

_Yeah, but what would_ make _her pass out?_ Yugi demanded. Before the ancient spirit could answer him, a soft moan came from the girl they hovered over.

"Amari!" Yugi cried again, this time in relief, as the girl's eyes fluttered open. Amari stared back at him silently for a few seconds, trying to reorient herself. When the glazed look in her eyes faded away, she took in her cousin's presence with surprise.

"Yugi," she breathed, his name half a question. "What's going on? The last thing I can remember is…" She trailed off, the memory of the mysterious boy resurfacing in her mind. After he had put that key to her head- what had he called it? The Ankh. That was it. After Shadi had put the Sennen Ankh to her head she had blacked out. The only thing she could remember was his voice clearing saying to her, _"Remember your purpose. Help him."_

"Remember…?" Yugi prompted, bringing herself back to the present moment. She paused again for a few seconds before shaking her head.

"No. It's nothing," she said, offering her cousin what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Even if Yugi was convinced, the Pharaoh wasn't, and he switched places with his counterpart to stare her down in speculation.

"Amari, are you really alright?" he asked, resting his hand on her shoulder. His hard stare made her nervous.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she answered too quickly before attempting to sit up. To her surprise she found herself telling him the truth as she felt she wasn't in any pain. There was no burning, no throbbing. Her bandages were even gone. She was tempted to reach back and check just to make sure, but she didn't want to alert the Pharaoh that something was indeed wrong with her. Was this also the mysterious boy's doing?

Despite her best efforts to conceal her surprise, the Pharaoh frowned, his lips pressed in a tight line. "Are you certain? _He _didn't try anything on you, did he?" Amari cringed against his question, making his frown deepen. "I'll take that as a yes," he stated flatly.

"I'm _fine_," she emphasized, "Really. I'm alright now," This didn't assure the spirit in the slightest, and he squeezed her shoulder in response.

"I'm going to find out about this sooner or later," he warned. "You might was well tell me," Even so, Amari hesitated to tell him about her…attack. Yes, it was obvious he would learn about this soon enough, but she just couldn't bring herself to say what had happened in words. Under his strong grip, she felt herself quiver.

"Please," she begged softly. "Don't ask me that right now," her voice was barely above a whisper, but even so it managed to crack with threatening tears. The Pharaoh sighed, taking her hand in a comforting gesture.

"Alright," he relented. "I won't ask now, but I will hear of it. Soon. Do you understand me?" he asked. Though his voice held all the authority of a true king, it was gentle and caring, the perfect mixture to cause her tears to fall unhindered. With a soft tug he pulled her to her feet. "Come on," he said as she wiped away her tears. "There's not much time left until we reach the dueling arena."

The pair made their way to the infirmary wing, and Amari was a bit startled to see the entire gang was gathered there, hovering over Mai's bed. Jounochi was closest to the unconscious girl, his hand hovering over hers but never resting there. Amari paled at the look of determination on his face. That was the exact same look she'd had before her own loss.

"How is she?" Yugi asked, back in control of his body. Anzu looked over at him, her face solemn.

"No change," she said with a shake of her head as Jounochi's sister, Shizuka, placed her hands on his shoulders in comfort. He glanced up at her with a small, forlorn smile before returning his eyes back to Mai, as if afraid taking his eyes off her would cause a change for the worst.

As Yugi made his way to Mai's bedside, Amari wandered over to Aki, who stood huddled in the corner with tear stains on her ivory cheeks.

"He's gone," she said in an empty voice. She didn't have to ask who, being the one who'd witnessed the boy's end at the hand of Marik. Her gut squirmed uncomfortably as a dark voice once again mocked her, calling her weak. She couldn't even hug her friend in condolence, too afraid she'd be able to feel the scars through her shirt. Before she could say more, a deep voice boomed over the intercoms in an announcement that the dueling site- Alcatraz- was in sight, and that their arrival time would be ten minutes from now.

Amari met eyes with Yugi again, who nodded. Turning to say goodbye to the others, he met Amari at the door where she exited without a word to anyone.

"I want to go visit Bakura's room," he told her, causing her to turn his way in mild surprise.

"Why?" she asked. "You know as well as I do he won't be there," Yugi pursed his lips, choosing his words thoughtfully.

"I just… have some thinking to do," he said at last, leaving Amari to still be confused. She nodded as if she understood, though that was far from the truth.

"I want to go visit Ishizu," she said, causing Yugi to "hnn" softly.

"I'll walk you," he offered, but as she turned to protest his eyes told her it was more of a demand than an offer. She nodded tightly before looking ahead again, knowing that arguing with him would be pointless.

As they approached Ishizu's room the doors slid open, and Marik calmly stepped outside the threshold. As he turned to face them, his eyes held a look of mild shock before devolving into a confused scowl. Amari blanched and turned away from his probing stare. No doubt he was wondering how she was moving about like this after what had happened between them only a day before.

Next to her Yugi once again switched places with the Pharaoh, and he grasped her wrist tightly as Marik slowly walked by. Amari held her breath as he passed, carefully keeping her eyes averted to the crevice separating the wall and floor. Only when the Pharaoh released her wrist did she dare to breathe again, taking it as a sign he was gone. She met his gaze, but found his stare no less uncomfortable than Marik's.

"I'll kill him," he growled under his breath, to her or himself she was not sure. "I swear it. I'll banish him so deep into the Shadow Realm he will never have any chance to raise from it again," Amari cringed back from the fury in his voice, though she knew it was hardly directed at her. She turned to knock on Ishizu's door, but the spirit grabbed her wrist once again to make her face him. His eyes no longer held his rage but they were still just as intense, even with the pure concern dominating his expression. "Be careful," he told her. For the first time all day, Amari actually held and returned his gaze, finally finding herself on an even ground with him.

"_You_ be careful," she shot back. After a few moments the Pharaoh offered her the tiniest of smiles before leaning in to give her a quick peck on her forehead. With one last look he turned and walked back down the hall towards the infirmary rooms to look for a bed he knew would be empty. Amari watched him go, even after he rounded the corner out of her sight. Slowly she turned back towards the door and knocked. She and Ishizu were going to have a lot to talk about before they landed.

* * *

**Author's note:**

**Yes, I'm back. Miss me?**

**Now we are nearing the finals of the tournament and, sadly, the end of this story. Though I have heard from a few of you privately that you'd really like to see a sequel for this. Well, I've starting messing around with ideas for a sequel to LOT, and so far I kind of like it. So, rejoice in knowing this story isn't going to end after this is over! (yay!) I for one am excited for it only because with the sequel I can really delve into Amari and Malik's relationship without the hindrance of following some one else's plot. **

**Anyway, hope you all are enjoying your summer vacations!**

**-M_q_**


	38. The Finals Begin

**Chapter Thirty-Seven:** _The Finals Begin_

"A man named Shadi was in your room?" Ishizu asked incredulously. Amari nodded, turning the glass of water clockwise in her hands.

"He put some sort of key up to my forehead, and when I woke up my wounds were closed." She took a sip, the water feeling solid as it slid down her throat. It left a dull ache behind in its place, and she chased it down quickly with another sip. It didn't help.

Across from her, Ishizu looked troubled, her slender fingers rubbing at her temples as if the information Amari had given her was causing a headache. "It sounds like it could have been a Sennen item," she murmured, eyes narrowed, "but I haven't heard of one that can heal physical wounds… especially ones like yours,"

"He said it was called the Sennen Ankh." Amari spoke up, hoping a name would help her. A short hum left Ishizu's lips as she recognized it.

"It's a very powerful item," she said thoughtfully. "With it a person can enter the soul of another and rearrange things within their minds, even brainwash them," She took up her own glass, but she didn't drink from it. "There are also rumors of it being able to turn the owner invisible, and can help the owner to use telepathy." Amari stood up straighter, a realization dawning on her. So that's why it had seemed like he could hear her question in her mind, because he_ had_.

"But nothing on healing wounds?" Amari asked. Ishizu shook her head.

"Nothing," she sighed. "Those powers must lie with the owner himself, this mysterious Shadi."

"There's something else," Amari said, "I don't think this is the first time he's been here. According to Yugi, he was the one who'd told him about the Sennen Items being the key to unlock the Pharaoh's memories," Ishizu nodded solemnly in agreement.

"I was also visited by him," she admitted, surprising Amari, "back before Marik had possessed my brother. He came to warn me, that the darkness within him was becoming too strong to control," she looked down into her glass, watching as the ice cubes grew smaller by the second in her tight grip. "He was right,"

"Ishizu, that wasn't you fault," Amari said hoarsely, her voice suddenly rough as emotions tried to bubble back up to the surface. "This wasn't anyone's fault." Ishizu looked up at her, her smile a rueful grimace.

"But it must still be fixed," she replied. A heavy feeling weighted down Amari's chest as she somberly agreed.

"But, who is he?" she cried in sudden aggravation. "If he's been here so long, why have none of us realized it sooner? Even if the Ankh can turn him invisible, he would have to be discovered sometime, right? It's not like he's a phantom!"

"Perhaps," Ishizu thought slowly, "he is." Amari shot her a look of confusion.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "You lost me." Ishizu opened her mouth to speak, but an announcement about landing procedures cut her off. Lips pressed together, she got to her feet, offering a hand to Amari.

"Come," she said. "I need to show you something, quickly, before we land."

Amari sat by Rashid's side, her hand over his in the same fashion as the night she had made her secret promise with him. Ishizu silently came up beside her, resting her hand on her shoulder, causing Amari to look up at her. "And you're sure Marik can't find him here?" Ishizu nodded, looking about the dark room with a hint of uneasiness.

"You and I are the only ones who know about this," she stated before looking back at her. "It is crucial you speak of this to no one, at least not until the finals begin. By then Marik will be too preoccupied with the duels to harm Rashid," she squeezed her shoulder for emphasis. Amari placed her other hand over Ishizu's in reassurance.

"I promise," she vowed. "I don't want to do anything that will jeopardize Rashid's wellbeing." She looked back down on Rashid's sleeping face, tears once again compromising her vision. Sometimes she wondered if he would ever wake up.

"We shouldn't stay here long," Ishizu murmured, releasing her shoulder. Amari nodded.

"I just want to hang by a little longer." She answered softly. Ishizu let out a short hum in allowance.

"Don't be too long," she said before leaving her alone in the shadowy room. Amari trapped Rashid's hand in both of hers and matched her breathing with his. The slow, rhythmic pace made it easier for her to calm down and convince herself he was only sleeping, though she knew that was far from the truth.

The electrical shock had been so fierce, she wondered if it would hinder him in some way when he finally awoke. Though Jounochi had been fine, as fine as he _ever_ was, and had gotten up soon after the blow, it didn't mean Rashid would be the same. That fact that he was still unconscious proved it.

Amari let out a long, exhausted sigh, grazing a hand against his cheek. A memory of her mother flared up, remembering she would do the same to her whenever she had thought Amari was fast asleep. For a brief period before the accident that killed her, her mother had gone into her room every night to watch her sleep, and on some level Amari wondered if she had known their moments together were numbered.

"Please wake up soon, Rashid," she murmured. "We need you. Malik needs you." A veil of tears blurred the vision of her hand against his and crowded her throat. "…_I_ need you."

"You don't need him,"

Amari's head shot up immediately, scanning the room as a sudden spike of adrenaline coursed in her blood. Shadi stood in a darker shadow in the corner of the room, eyes flashing like two will-o-wisp that made him all the more ghost-like. Ishizu's words rang in the back of her mind. _Perhaps he is._

"How did you…?" Amari began, only to trail off as she doubted he'd answer her. She stood up as he approached closer, and she held up a hand to stop him. "What did you mean by not needing him?" she demanded, mustering a glare.

"I meant just what I said," he replied, his eyes drifting towards Rashid before returning to her. "You don't need him. He will carve a path out for you, but ultimately it will be you who must act." He stepped forward again, but she stopped him short.

"You'll stay where you are," she snapped. "I want you to tell me who you are and what you're doing here. I want you to tell me how you closed-" she had to pause to swallow as she found herself suddenly struggling to get her words out, "-closed my wounds… I want to know what your part is in all of this." Shadi said nothing for a moment, eyes probing hers as if to read something deep inside her mind. Amari felt herself twitch nervously as she realized he probably was.

"Very well," he answered after awhile. Amari let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in, only to hold it again when he added, "But I won't guarantee you will like what I tell you." After a moment's silence Amari offered a tight nod, stating he could tell her what she wanted desperately to know. She was not prepared for his next words.

"I was there when the evil spirit was born." He started, causing Amari to gasp. He shot her a piercing look, and she had to force herself to swallow down the questions screaming in her throat. After a few more, dragging seconds of silence, he continued, "When I first encountered the spirit in possession of the boy, I knew at once he would become an enemy to reckon with, but I also knew how important he would be to the cause of recovering the Nameless Pharaoh's memories. When the boy came to I told him as such, and the Wheel of Fate was set into motion," As his words died off, Amari felt her insides grow cold. A horrible thought dawned on her, and she felt as it choked the air from her lungs.

"You…" she rasped. "You're the one that made Malik believe the Pharaoh killed his father?" Her legs began shaking beneath her as her breath came in short huffs and tears stung her eyes. She began to see spots as heat rolled down her back, but she focused in on his cold, unblinking blue orbs. She was beyond being angry. Amari was full of rage.

She propelled herself towards him and flailed out with her fists screaming, "How could you! How could you do this, you monster! You made all of this happen! You did this!" He didn't react to the punches she dealt to his chest, as if they hardly bothered him at all, and it only made her angrier. Even so he waited until she was out of the energy to hit him, and once she was she began to cry. "How could you?" she repeated. "Do you know how many times Yugi could have died? The pain you've put Malik through? Rashid might not even wake up! _How could you?_"

"Are you finished?" he finally asked, his voice impassive as it always was. Amari looked up at him through her veil of tears to see him completely unaffected by her display of emotions. Her face flushed in renewed fury, but she stepped back anyway. Nothing would get through to him. She took a moment to compose herself before asking him the obvious question, "Are you dead?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation. "I was killed by the tomb robber Bakura many years ago, when I was keeper of the tomb of the Sennen Items. As for how I healed you, it's not important. What is important is what you are to do next."

"And what am I to do?" she snapped.

"You are to fulfill your piece of destiny and be at the final battle," he replied, ignoring her attitude. "I revived you so you could play your part and aid the Pharaoh to his victory." Amari took a step back, remembering Ishizu's cryptic message only weeks ago: _You will be given a choice, and when that time comes, you must make the choice to help him._

"But if I help the Pharaoh… what will happen to Malik?" she asked. His eyes flickered in the low light, and Amari felt her stomach flop.

"It doesn't matter." He answered. "If he dies, he dies. His part has already been played out. It is your turn to assist him now."

"How can you say it doesn't matter?" Amari cried, throat going dry. "He's a human being! He is alive!"

"What fate has decided for him is what will be," Shadi answered calmly. "You have wasted too much time here. You must go now."

"But I'm not done-" Before she could finish protesting, he vanished before her eyes, leaving behind nothing but the burning reminder of his will-o-wisp eyes and his terrible message. "Great." She spat into the silence of the room. "I've been ordered by a ghost to sacrifice my best friend for the Greater Good. Excellent." She balled her fists as the urge to cry resurfaced, but she forced the feeling back down, knowing she had more important things to do.

Amari entered the infirmary to find Shizuka and Ishizu huddled around Mai, Shizuka holding the unconscious girl's hand just as her brother had done.

"How is she?" she spoke up, startling the pair. Shizuka relaxed at seeing her, but something in Ishizu's eyes told Amari she knew something was wrong.

"There's no change," Shizuka said, her smile sad and small. Amari frowned slightly when the girl turned to look back out the window, knowing she probably wanted nothing more than to be with Jounochi right about now.

"He's fighting against my brother," Ishizu spoke up, surprising her. "They announced it over the intercoms for us waiting here." Renewed sympathy washed over her as she looked at Shizuka with new eyes, but she couldn't afford to contemplate Jounochi's fate right now.

"Ishizu, I need to speak to you," she said, pulling the Egyptian woman over to an empty bed on the far side of the room where Shizuka could not hear. "Shadi visited me right after you left me alone with Rashid," she said, watching a look of surprise cross Ishizu's expression. "He told me I had a destiny, that I'm fated to help the Pharaoh and give up on Malik if I need to." Her words came out faster as she grasped the older girl's hands, urgency clear in her voice. "Ishizu, when I met you at the airport, you told me I would have a choice to make, and when that time came I would have to save "him". Please, tell be who you were speaking of. Who were you begging me to save?" Ishizu pursed her lips, face paling as she averted her eyes from Amari's intense stare.

"I'm sorry." She answered softly. "I'm not sure how much I can trust what I saw back then since the Sennen Necklace has rejected me."

"_Please_, Ishizu," Amari begged. "Please just tell me what you saw. I _need_ to know. _Please_." Ishizu let out a large sigh, looking back at her with tired eyes.

"I saw you helping the Pharaoh." She spoke, her voice taught. "When the choice came, you chose to help your family." Amari bit her lip, bile rising in her throat.

"But when you asked me to help "him", you didn't mean the Pharaoh, did you?" she asked, voice low. Ishizu looked away, eyes glistening and expression forlorn.

"No," she whispered, eyes sliding shut. Without another word, Amari stood and turned to leave, only stopping when Ishizu's grip tightened. "As a Seer I know you will have to pick the Pharaoh to help in the end," she said in a rough voice, "but as a sister, I hope you will consider the other choice."

"You said I would choose to help my family in the end, right?" Amari answered. "Well, Yugi may be a part of my family, but so is Malik." Surprised, Ishizu let go of her hand, but she soon recovered as relief flooded her eyes.

"Thank you," she choked out. Amari turned away and headed towards the door, calling out to Shizuka as she passed.

"Shizuka, come with me," she called to the other girl. "We're going to go watch you brother's duel."

"B-but what about Mai?" Shizuka asked incredulously.

"I'll watch her," Ishizu spoke up, eyes locked solidly on Amari. "Go now," Amari nodded solemnly, gesturing to Shizuka to follow her. She heard the girl thank Ishizu before running to catch up to her. She began whispering prayers for her brother under her breath as they ran, and Amari found herself silently doing the same. In the elevator, Amari offered Shizuka her hand.

"Don't worry," she said. "Everything will be fine. You'll see," In response Shizuka smiled, but her tight grip told Amari her words had barely reached her.

When they reached the top, the elevator doors could not open fast enough. Not bothering to let go of her and, Shizuka bolted from the elevator, dragging a stumbling Amari with her just in time to see Jounochi collapse.

"Brother!" Shizuka screamed, finally releasing her to run to playing field. Amari moved forward, feeling as if she were wading through molasses. She watched in slow motion as Mokuba jumped up onto the arena and announced Jounochi was no longer breathing. Yugi was screaming his name. She felt someone grab her arm and turned to see Aki holding onto her, eyes wild in fear. She looked back towards the field, and there _he_ was.

Marik looked worse for wear, letting her know Jounochi had at least put up a good fight. He was breathing heavily and slightly leaning on the railing of his area, but it didn't hinder the intensity of his eyes as they locked on her. She wanted to shrink away from that gaze, but a stronger part of her helped her to hold her ground. Silently she told him she was done being afraid of him. _I will save him._ She told him. _I will save them both._

When the stretcher came forward for Jounochi, Marik left the platform, passing between the arena and the group. She heard him chuckle darkly as he passed her, taunting her. She knew he didn't believe she could save anyone, much less herself. She glowered in response. She couldn't wait to prove him wrong.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Hello everyone! I apologise for how late this update was, truely. I've been having a hard time this summer and, well, as you can tell I didn't have much time to work on this. At least it's a long-ish chapter, right? Nevermind. Sorry again. Next update will be much faster, I promise. (:**

**-M_q_**


	39. Collecting Your Victims

**Chapter Thirty-Eight; **_Collecting Your Victims_

"_An hour?_ He only gave you an _hour?_" Honda shouted above Shizuka's wails and pleas. Yugi had his head bent, tears streaming from his eyes as he gave a pitiful nod.

"I don't have a choice," he murmured in anguish. "I have to go fight him, or I forfeit."

"This is bullshit!" Honda raged, punching the wall next to him. "Does that bastard not have a heart? Doesn't he care that Jounochi could be dying?" Shizuka began to cry even harder, earning Honda a glare from Anzu and an unintelligible name from Otogi.

Amari said nothing, her mind wandering to dark places as her eyes stayed transfixed on the wires protruding from Jounochi's chest. Even with her new-found courage she knew that she wouldn't have much hope in saving both Yugi and Malik if she couldn't figure out what she actually needed to do. Despite all the warnings of her "choice", nobody had bothered to tell her what she would have to do _with_ that choice once it was made.

She let out a bitter sigh, a sudden wash of tears crowding her throat as she wished for the thousandth time that day for Rune to miraculously return. Not that it mattered if she did, since Amari was no longer carrying the Sennen Bracelet with her. A red ring encircled her wrist from where she had rubbed it constantly since the Bracelet's absence. She no longer felt complete without its familiar weight.

Amari looked up at the pressure of a hand on her shoulder, and she found Aki standing over her.

"You alright?" she asked. Amari shrugged in response.

"No one can be alright when we're all dropping like flies," she said, looking back over at Jounochi and Mai in the bed next to him. For a moment she imagined their hands clasped together across the beds. "But it'll be okay soon." With an uncertain scowl, Aki sat down next to her and took her hand in hers.

"You know I'm here for you, right?" she asked, and Amari offered a small, wavering smile. She couldn't help but feel a new appreciation for her best friend. Despite all the horrors she'd been forced to deal with she was still doing her best to be strong for other people. In a way, Amari felt jealous. No matter how hard she tried, she never seemed to do anything but cause harm to the people she loved.

_No._ She scolded herself. _Thinking like that isn't going to help me. It's time to get my act together._ With another, stronger smile she patted Aki's hand and stood up. "I know," she answered. "I'm fine, really. Thanks,"

She had to talk to Yugi and the Pharaoh and tell them about Shadi's visit. It was time to stop hiding things from the both of them. But as she looked around, she saw her cousin was nowhere to be found.

_Did the duel start already?_ She wondered, cursing under her breath as she sprinted from the room. Maybe she could catch up with him at the elevators. She called an apology back to Aki as her friend shouted after her. She bounded the corner just in time to see the elevators open and the shadow of someone walk in.

"Wait!" she cried as the doors began to close, pushing her way inside just in time. She braced herself against the wall as she tried to catch her breath. "Seriously, Yugi," she gasped between sucks of air, "You couldn't give a girl a head's up before heading out on your own?" She turned to face him, only to feel her smile drop as she found herself meeting someone who was definitely_ not_ Yugi.

Marik leaned on the far side of the elevator wall, arms crossed over his chest and a predatory smile resting on his lips. Amari immediately jumped back, moving as far away from him as she could in the small enclosure. He chuckled darkly at her reaction.

"I was wondering when you were going to notice." He told her, slowly unfurling his arms and straightening his stance. He took a heavy step towards her. "I'm surprised to see you running around so…unhindered. Perhaps my marks weren't deep enough?"

Amari's heart hammered in her throat, and she pressed herself against the wall in the hopes of disappearing into it. She should have been more careful.

"I'm not afraid of you," she declared, though the slight tremble in her voice gave her away. Marik chuckled, pressing his thumb on the panic button. The elevator came to a screeching halt, forcing her to grab the railing for support. She gasped in pain as her scars began to burn. Marik's hand loomed above her as he leaned over her cringing form. He forced her chin up to look him in the eyes.

"Even when you're trapped with me?" he asked, his voice husky. A cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck as her back blazed in agony. "No one can help you." He continued, eyes wild. "I've already warned you escape was impossible. I can do anything I want to you. Can you say you're not afraid now?" His grip on her was making her jaw ache, and between that and the newfound fury of her scars, tears sprang from her eyes. Marik grinned, sensing a victory. He leaned in closer, chasing her to the floor as she crouched lower, his face merely centimeters from her own. "Should I finish what I had already started and kill you now?" he whispered. "Or would you rather I wait so you can watch the annihilation of the Pharaoh and his host first?"

She felt a lump solidify in her throat, but it was one of loathing rather than fear. She hated him. Oh how she hated him. Metallic rage coursed in her blood, balling her fists and leaving her tongue bitter. Her body trembled with it, but Marik mistook her anger for terror.

He let go of her chin to reach for the Sennen Rod hanging from his hip, and Amari watched him move in slow motion. She took a deep breath, seeing her chance. In one swift moment she shot up, pushing him away and off balance. Faster than she ever thought possible she moved past him and reached for the panic button. Without hesitation the elevator whirred to life and finished its accent, cheerfully opening into the outside world. Breathing heavily she looked down on him as he struggled to stand, and with all her fury burning behind her she landed a swift kick to his chest.

"Don't you _ever_ dream of touching me again!" she panted. "_Go to hell_." Marik glared up at her from where he writhed on the floor, his fingers clawing the ground as he attempted to get back on his feet. He made it to his knees before the elevator doors shut on him, and without a second thought Amari turned and ran. The burning sensation in her back began to ease, but the lump in her throat did not dissolve. It had been faint, but she had definitely heard his reply. It echoed in the back of her mind now, propelling her to move faster: _I'll drag you with me. _

Quick as lightning a figure jumped in front of her and she screamed, though logic told her there was no way he could have gotten in front of her so fast. All the same she struggled as hands secured her arms until she heard a familiar voice say her name. She stopped struggling in order to focus, and she found herself being held by one of Kaiba's security men. Next to him was Mokuba with a few more men, and by the worried look on his face she guessed he was the one who had called her name. She instantly relaxed, and the guard released her.

"Mokuba," she breathed, half-laughing on his name. She wasn't sure whether to hug him or burst into tears. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you,"

"Everything okay?" he asked. "You were running pretty fast,"

"Um, well, I-" she fumbled, taking a quick look behind her. She choked on her heart when she saw Marik not too far behind, murder clear in his expression. Mokuba saw him as well and immediately grasped hold of the situation. He took Amari's hand to lead her away, instructing three of the guards to stay behind to stop Marik's advance. Amari forced herself not to look back a second time as Mokuba led her into a restricted area at the other end of the hall.

"Will you're guards be okay?" she asked as Mokuba motioned towards the large windows on the far wall.

"They've been trained to handle creeps like him." He assured her, but Amari found herself seriously doubting that unless there was a class in disabling mind-controlling demons hell-bent on destruction and chaos. "I'm guessing you originally came here to watch Yugi duel, right?" he added. "This place is off limits to everyone but me and a few workers, but it's the perfect place to watch."

"Are you sure he won't be able to come in?" Amari asked, glancing over at the door nervously. Mokuba shot her a look that reminded her of his older brother before looking back out the window.

"We're behind the virtual walls of the coliseum," he continued, obviously thinking her question not worth answering, "specifically right above the dueling arena. My men will escort Marik back down to the first floor of the coliseum, since this entire floor is pretty much supposed to be off limits to anyone who isn't a worker." He turned to look at her then, eyes narrowed in speculation and a hint of concern. "How come you two were up here in the first place?" he asked. "I mean, that was the guy who'd kidnapped us, right? What were you doing with him?"

Amari swallowed hard, her tongue like lead in her mouth. "It's complicated," she answered with a heavy sigh, turning her gaze to the duelists below them. She watched as Kaiba used his XYZ-Dragon Cannon to destroy Yugi's Big Shield Gardna with a cringe. The Pharaoh wasn't doing so well, from what she saw. "We ended up being stuck in the elevator together, and as you saw things didn't end well." She rested her forehead against the cool glass, only able to manage a tiny smile when the Pharaoh sacrificed his three newly-acquired monsters to summon Osiris. "I think he's got him beat."

"Don't be so sure," Mokuba countered, now also looking on the battle below. Just as Osiris attacked, Kaiba set a trap that sent his monster to another dimension and the God Card's blast hit nothing but air. On the next turn the monster returned, only to be sacrificed to Kaiba's Obelisk. Now it was god against god.

Back and forth the power struggle went, each monster vying for the strongest attack to end the duel. Red and blue behemoths clashed in a stalemate as their masters released one magic or trap card after the other. One moment it appeared Obelisk would win, and in the next Osiris would have the upper hand. Amari palms clenched against the glass as Osiris lost another chance to destroy Obelisk. Out of all the duels she'd witnessed this was definitely the most intense.

Finally Kaiba seized his chance when the Pharaoh lowered Osiris's attack points to 1000 and ordered Obelisk to destroy him. The ancient spirit answered with Spell Textbook, and Amari held her breath as prayed for him to pull out the card to save him. Sure enough he drew Card of Sanctity, and Osiris's attack once again rose to 6000. A bright light whited out the field as the gods clashed, causing Mokuba and her to have to cover their eyes. Amari screamed as the light above her shattered and ran to Mokuba to shield him from the falling glass.

When the light finally faded the two ventured to look back out onto the battle, only to have their hearts stop when they saw both duelists down on their knees and both God Cards gone. In unison they cried out to their family, though Amari knew there was no way they could hear them. They watched as each of them returned to their feet, seemingly unharmed, and she felt herself relax. She didn't even notice when was still holding onto Mokuba until he pushed her off of him.

"They're gone," she heard him whisper in disbelief. "What on earth happened?" A glimmer in the corner of her vision caught her eye, and Amari turned away from the battle to see a light shining through one of the hologram walls below. She scowled, guessing it to be Marik. What was he doing? Did he plan to interrupt the duel? Or was this like before when Kaiba had faced Ishizu and the Rod was reacting on its own?

"Look!" cried Mokuba, gaining back her attention. Amari's stomach flop when she saw what he was so excited about. Kaiba had managed to summon his Blue Eyes White Dragon and was about to finish the duel.

_Come on, Pharaoh,_ she encouraged silently. _You can beat him, I know you can. _Sure enough he used a Monster Reborn, and in a burst of green light the Dark Magician sprang forth. Amari felt the corners of her mouth lift into a smile. She couldn't help but feel like this was what the last battle should be like, not God Card against God Card.

Kaiba summoned Lord of Dragons, and the Pharaoh made no hesitation to destroy it. Kaiba's trap sprang immediately, and he claimed the Pharaoh's Monster Reborn as his own. Mokuba cheered as Amari's stomach clenched. Obelisk returned to the field.

"It's okay," she assured herself. "He can only put it in defense. He can still-" The Dark Magician's attack rebounded, causing the Pharaoh's points to dwindle down to 1500. Amari let out a tiny cry when she noticed the Pharaoh clutch his shoulder in pain. Even when Obelisk was sent back to the graveyard she still felt on edge.

"Relax, will you?" Mokuba sneered, turning away from the duel to glower at her. "You've been whimpering like that since the lights blew. Yugi losing won't be the end of the world," Amari felt as heat rose to her cheeks in anger and embarrassment until she remembered Mokuba didn't really know about what was really at stake.

"You don't get it," she told him. "It pretty much will be. Yugi is fighting in order to stop the worst from happening." She looked back down on the field where three Blue Eyes now stood on Kaiba's side. Her jaw clenched. "If he loses here, so do we."

"You're crazy," Mokuba snorted. "Brother and I don't believe in crap like that, and you're dumb for believing in it, too."

"Oh yeah?" Amari demanded, anger flaring once again. "Can you really say that even after what you saw on the docks? Or what happened to you during Pegasus's tournament?" He cringed at that, but his stubborn expression showed he wasn't going to give up his mindset easily. "Mokuba, this threat is real. This evil is real, and it's here. It will kill us all if Yugi doesn't stop it, which is why he has to win this duel. He knows it, too." A commotion on the field brought back their attention, and they watched as all three Blue Eyes were obliterated by the Pharaoh's Dark Paladin. Amari smiled. "It's why he'll never give up."

Mokuba fell to his knees in shock, hands and face pressed up against the glass as Kaiba's life points drained away to zero. Cheers erupted from the virtual crowd as the Pharaoh was pronounced the victor. In delightful surprise Amari saw the others run up to greet him as he was lowered from the platform, Jounochi leading the group. She was glad to see his soul hadn't been taken, only to have another sudden wash of tears crowd her throat as the image of Rune being devoured burned in the back of her mind. In response her scars once again flared to life and she curled up in response.

"Hey, you okay?" Mokuba asked when he noticed her in pain, and he called in a few guards to help her get to her feet. They made their way back to the ground floor just in time to meet the group. With a huge grin Amari embraced the Pharaoh, whispering a quick "Congratulations" before pulling away again. He smiled at her, but she could see the worry in his eyes.

"Admit it, you're too scared to face me!" Jounochi's sudden cry caught all of their attention, and she heard Anzu groan as they saw him trying to challenge Kaiba to a duel for third place.

"Please," Kaiba sneered. "Facing you would be a waste of my time… but I never back down from a challenge."

"Just came back from being half dead and he's already rearing for a fight," Anzu chided. "He's nuts!"

"That's Jounochi for you." Honda agreed. "He's always been like that." Amari looked over as the Pharaoh chuckled softly to himself.

"He'll be fine," he assured the group. "We should watch to give our support, yes?" Though the last thing Amari wanted to do was watch another duel, she was even less inclined to separate from Yugi and the ancient spirit, not knowing where Marik might be lurking now.

Amari scanned the hologram panels for the evil entity she found him to be no where in sight. She frowned, another ball knotting itself in her stomach. This duel was only delaying the inevitable, and the freer reign Marik had the worse it would be for all of them.

"Anzu?" she heard Aki call, and Amari instantly made another sweep of the area. Anzu was nowhere to be found. A chill crawled up Amari's spine.

"Anzu's gone," she whispered to the Pharaoh, who immediately looked around the area as she had done. He tensed, taking in a sharp breath as the Sennen Puzzle began to subtly glow. As soon as it ended he grabbed hold of her hand and began steering her away from the dueling arena.

"What is it?" she asked, doing her best to keep up.

"Bad news," he told her, not slowing down even as she stumbled a bit. "Anzu's in trouble." Another feeling of dread passed through her. She knew exactly who the "trouble" could be. Something on the upper level of the coliseum caught her attention, and she looked up to see a familiar pair of will-o-wisp eyes staring down at her. Amari glared up at Shadi, her back throbbing in a shock of pain. She knew he was causing those spasms to occur in order to gain her attention. She turned her attention away from him as they reentered the elevator. She had bigger things to worry about right now besides a sadistic ghost. It was time to face her demon.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Tortuous chapter is torturous. I hate duels, I really do. Did you know their duel took at least six episodes to complete? Six! I thought I was going to die.  
Whining aside, only a few more chapters to go and this project will be done! This story has taken me over three years to complete, including the two and-a-half revissions and one clean slate back from when it was first up in 2007. Thanks again all of you who have stuck with me for so long. (and who will hopefully stick around for the sequel.) You guys are the best!**

**-M_q_**


	40. Order the Guillotine

**Chapter Thirty-Nine; **_Order the Guillotine _

"Amari, look at me." His hands were cool against her skin as he collected her face in his calloused grip, strong and secure but trembling as he stared into the whites of her eyes. He was panicking, she knew, with good reason. She couldn't stand up.

Amari was taking air in gasping breaths, her face flushed as an invisible fire ate away the flesh on her back. She was gripping his wrists as tightly as he held onto her, both attempting to get her to her feet. So far they were failing. He looked so worried, panicked even, that Amari couldn't help but manage a weak smile. She tried to tell him she'd be fine in a minute.

"You're not fine," he strained, and Amari was sure there were tears glistening in his eyes. "What's happened to you?" She sucked in a few more gasps of air before she managed to bring her breath back down to a normal pace. She let out a shaky laugh, wanting to comfort him, but it gave the opposite effect as his hands only trembled more. "Tell me!" he begged. "Stop holding these secrets from me! Please!" Amari flinched away from the rawness in his voice, of the pain she was causing him. She had promised herself she would tell him everything, and it appeared by the inferno her scars were crafting that Shadi wanted that time to be now. With a weak and hesitant hand she pointed to her back.

He tensed, and she watched his eyes widen in horror as he guessed the damage done. He moved to the side of her, breath hitching as he slowly lifted her shirt to expose her back. An animal cry escaped from the back of his throat as he quickly let it fall again. Amari turned, moving easier as the pain slowly drained away. He was staring at her. She rested a hand on his knee. His face crumpled.

"Pharaoh..." she started but was unsure how to finish. Slowly he stood up, and she followed him without a word. He was shaking violently, and she believed he was crying until his fist suddenly shot out to punch the button for the top floor. The elevator dinged cheerfully in response, unable to read the tense atmosphere as it shot them towards their destination.

"_He's dead_," he growled, his voice like the distant thunder before a deadly storm. "I might have shown mercy before, but no longer. I'll send him straight to the pits of Hell myself." She placed a hand on his arm, and when he turned to face her she let it fall into his.

"But first we have to save Anzu," she reminded him. He nodded, the steel in his eyes chilling her skin. Once again the Sennen Puzzle began to glow, the current of power it contained standing her hair on edge.

The elevator's mouth yawned open, and the pair rushed forward onto a scene Amari couldn't bring herself to fully comprehend. Anzu was on the ground, Ishizu standing protectively in front of her as Marik threatened the pair with the Sennen Rod. Amari couldn't take her eyes off Anzu, unable to understand why her eyes held a lavender hue.

"Ishizu, it's already too late for me!" she cried, but her voice was strange. Lower. Amari's hands flew to her mouth as she finally realized what was taking place.

"Malik," she chocked out, and all three turned to her in surprise. Malik's pained expression told her everything.

"I'm sorry," he said to her. "Please don't worry about me anymore." Amari shook her head viciously as Malik's spirit left Anzu, and as the girl began to fall back Amari ran to her, only to stop in her tracks when the Sennen Rod was turned in her direction. Invisible spiders crawled along her skin as Marik's heathen eyes bore into her. Death lingered between them, enveloping her in its chilling grasp. Fear stole the air out of her lungs. Her limbs grew numb.

"_Marik!_" The Pharaoh's roar startled her out of her trance. Light leapt from the Sennen Puzzle as shadows danced around them. Marik turned his attention away from her to weave shadows of his own, and Amari took the time to sprint the rest of the way to Anzu's side. Ishizu was already there, bent over her unconscious form and holding her head up. Her eyes told her she would be fine, but Amari could see her pain just as well as she felt her own. Malik had just ordered both of them to give up on him.

Marik laughed, and at first Amari thought it was because he had read her thoughts until she saw the shadows wane away. Specks of blue sky quickly grew above them as the Shadow Realm dissipated, but the cold stayed with her.

"How boring," Marik grinned, eyes resting lazily on the Pharaoh who returned his gaze with one filled with murderous rage. "To issue a Game here wouldn't be any fun. No, I have something much more… spectacular waiting for you." Slowly he waltzed towards the elevators, only pausing to glace in her general direction. She glared up at his wolfish grin, her stomach squirming as the darkness stirred restlessly behind his eyes. "I hope you can manage a front-row seat to the festivities." He told her. "I'm sure you'll be the one to enjoy them, most of all."

Amari said nothing to the comment, feeling as bile rose into the back of her mouth. When he was finally gone she turned away from the others to retch. She flinched when a soothing hand came to rest on her back, and she looked up to see the Pharaoh peering over her, lips pursed. She nodded to show she was okay, and with a grim expression he left her to examine Anzu.

"She'll be alright." Ishizu assured him as he took her from her arms.

"I just don't understand what she would be doing up here in the first place," he murmured, only to trail off when he felt Amari's eyes trained heavily on him. Realization dawned on him. "You mentioned Malik…" he trailed off, and Amari nodded her confirmation. Ishizu squeezed her hand.

"Please," she begged, her voice rough as she turned her gaze to the Pharaoh. "Please, save my brother." He rested a hand on the Egyptian woman's shoulder, his expression solemn but his eyes filled with a strong determination.

"I will." He told her before shifting his gaze to Amari, making it clear the promise was extended to her. "You have my word." Amari had to look away to hide the tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

Anzu began to stir, and when Amari turned back to face them she was surprised to see Yugi sitting in the Pharaoh's place. He offered her a strained smile.

"Whoa," Anzu muttered as she sat up, rubbing her head. "What happened? Weren't we just watching Jounochi's duel? Did it end or something?" The three of them shared a look, deciding it best not to tell her she'd just been possessed, again.

"It's probably ending now," Yugi said while offering to help her to her feet. "If we hurry, we can catch the end of it."

As the four of them exited the elevators they found the duel at an end and a very angry Jounochi waiting for them.

"Thanks for the support guys," he grumbled, and Anzu flashed him an innocent smile.

"Sorry," Yugi offered, but Jounochi told him to drop it. Ishizu wandered away from them, and Amari watched as she approached Kaiba not too far away. She observed them in curiosity as their voices steadily rose, but she couldn't make out what they were arguing over. She snapped her head back to the group when Marik's name was mentioned.

"It's all my fault," Jounochi was saying, head bent. "I couldn't save her, but I know you can, Yugi."

"Don't worry, I'll get everyone back," he said in assurance, his eyes landing on her as he spoke. A sickening feeling crawled along her skin as she realized he was really talking to her. Jounochi smiled and patted him on the back.

"Thanks, Yugi." He sighed in relief, and Yugi turned away from her to offer his friend a smile. Amari turned her back on the group, biting the color out of her bottom lip. Both he and the Pharaoh had promised her the same thing, and while she trusted them she couldn't shake the heaviness fermenting in her gut. Something was going to happen, and she didn't think it would be for good.

"Yugi!" Yugi looked up as something came sailing towards him. He caught the thing in his hand with little hesitation and looked down to see what he had. It was Fiend Sanctuary. He looked up to meet the steely gaze of Seto Kaiba.

"You'll need it." He told him, voice impassive. "Use it wisely." Yugi looked back down at the card without a word, thinking.

"Don't add it in your deck," Jounochi advised. "I trust that creep as far as I can throw him. You should just toss that thing over the side of the duel tower." Yugi shook his head, shuffling the magic card into his deck.

"Kaiba and I might not always agree, but I do trust him." Yugi answered, much to the blonde's frustration. "Come on," He followed Kaiba into the elevator, and the others crowded in after him.

Amari was the last, her head craned toward the sky. If Rune was there she'd no doubt be speaking to her about bad omens. She sacrificed a rueful smile to the bright blue sky. This would be the end, either for better or for worse. Despite everything, she wanted to believe nothing bad could happen on such a beautiful day as this.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Short chapter is short. Only the final duel left!  
Also, I know it's the end, but reviews are still really nice. I hate begging, but I really want to know who is still with me. Please?**

**-M_q_**


	41. The Curtain Falls

**Chapter Forty; **_The Curtain Falls _

On their way out of the elevator, Yugi pulled Amari back. She turned to ask what was wrong and paled when he pulled the Sennen Bracelet from his pocket. She began to back away from him but he kept his hold on her, eyes solemn.

"I just want you to hold onto it for me until the end of this duel." He assured her, eyes gentling as he wrapped her hands around the fragile band of gold. His smile was warm and comforting, but it didn't stop the nausea churning in her stomach. "Everything will be okay, I promise."

Amari wrapped him in a tight hug. "Be careful," she whispered in his ear. "I can't lose you, too." His fists were clenched on her back, but he nodded against her shoulder. When she let go of him she noticed Marik peering down at them with a smirk of amusement.

"Saying your good-byes?" he taunted when the Pharaoh joined him on the playing field. "I hope you gave her your final wishes." The Pharaoh said nothing, switching decks with him to shuffle it thoroughly. Marik's manic smile grew upon seeing the hatred in his eyes. He chuckled darkly.

The judge announced the start of the duel. Mere seconds after, shadows leaped into the air to entrap the pair in a dome of darkness. Amari shivered as the dome stretched outward, collecting the spectators in its black embrace. Her hands shook as she quickly clasped the Sennen Bracelet on her wrist. In the back of her mind she wondered if Yugi had guessed this would happen and gave it back so she could protect herself. She turned to glance at the others, watching their array of shocked and fearful expressions with a sense of grim apprehension. She would have to find away to shield the others as well.

"Now for the fun to begin," Marik chuckled from his place on the field, licking his lips in anticipation. "I shall give you a glance at one of my first surprises." He pointed to the void above him, and instantaneously a giant, transparent pyramid appeared. There was someone trapped inside.

"Mai!" Jounochi cried just as Amari recognized who it was. The girl did not respond, apparently unconscious within her prison. As quick as it appeared it was gone, and Marik laughed as he watched Jounochi struggle against Honda's hold, the blonde sputtering half threats in unbridled rage.

"That's not even the best part!" Marik cheered, arms spread out wide in elation. He dropped them as a twisted grin split his mouth. "I suggest you take a look behind you, Pharaoh."

"Oh my God…" Amari whispered, hands shaking as she covered her mouth. Hanging to the side of the Pharaoh was Yugi, bound in chains and completely dazed. The Pharaoh called out to him, but it took a minute for him to respond. Panic pricked at her eyes as he met her horrified stare. He offered a thumbs up, and a scream bubbled in her chest as she remembered his near-death on the docks.

"Leave him out of this!" the Pharaoh shouted, but Marik merely smiled back, shoulders lifted in a useless shrug.

"Don't worry," he replied casually. "I have my own collateral as well." As the words left his mouth, the outline of a hazy figure solidified out of the shadows. The scream stuck in her throat escaped as Malik's face manifested out of the darkness. She called his name, but he didn't stir. Marik's laugh overpowered her pleas for him to wake up.

"As you can see, we will be sacrificing our other souls in this duel instead of our own." He explained, looking extremely pleased with himself. "When one of us reaches zero in our life points, our weaker half will be completely devoured… they'll be gone forever." His eyes flashed as he explained the rules, the Pharaoh looking just as horrified as Amari felt. She shook her head, unable to stop as a string of soft denials left her lips. How was she supposed to stop this?

Marik summoned Vampiric Leech to his side of the field, gleefully ordering it to make a direct attack. The Pharaoh grunted in pain as the monster latched onto him and sucked away 500 of his life points. Above him, Yugi let out an ear-splitting scream. "No!" Amari screeched as Yugi's right knee disintegrated into nothingness. Over their cries, Marik's laughter rang out, taunting her. This was too much. The Pharaoh thought so, too.

"I won't fight you this way." He growled. "This is too cruel."

"Cruel?" Marik mocked with a crooked smirk. "This is only the beginning, old king. I, for one, consider this way more merciful." His eyes wandered over to Amari, her heart pounding in her throat as the darkness in his eyes gripped her. "Would you rather I destroy him with my own hands?" The Pharaoh grimaced, also looking her way as he remembered what he'd done to her. Amari forced herself to break away from Marik's stare to meet the Pharaoh's. They both knew this was the best way. The ancient spirit screwed his eyes shut and nodded, indicating he would play out the duel. Above him, Yugi whispered words of encouragement. Marik let out another laugh.

The duel continued, the Pharaoh summoning Queen's Knight to destroy Marik's Leech. Marik chuckled, unaffected, and brought Juragedo to the field. It destroyed Queen's Knight, and the Pharaoh's points dropped once again. Amari twisted the Sennen Bracelet as a chunk of Yugi's arm vanished.

"I'm alright!" he cried, loud enough for her to hear, but the strain in his voice told her a different story. Marik ended his turn with two cards faced down, activating one when the Pharaoh drew from his deck. It was Left Arm Offering. With a grin he put Monster Reborn in his hand. Amari grimaced, but the Pharaoh countered by activating Exchange. He took Monster Reborn away, but Amari didn't feel any less uneasy when she noticed Marik was still completely calm.

"I don't like that look he's wearing." Aki spoke up, surprising Amari into realizing she'd been standing next to her this entire time. Amari looked her over, only now seeing just how truly haggard and spent she looked. Another pang of guilt squeezed her chest, but when Aki turned her way her smile showed she was far from blaming her.

"He's definitely plotting something," Otogi spoke up, coming to stand on her other side with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Amari looked around at the others to see them all with a similar look of suspicion, and she realized they were all feeling the same: worried, fearful, but full of hope. She turned her eyes back to the arena, a lump lodging her throat. She was the only one having doubts, then.

Using Monster Reborn, the ancient spirit called back his Queen's Knight, followed shortly by his King's Knight. Smiles crept onto the faces of the others as Jack's Knight burst onto the field. Nothing was stopping him from summoning Osiris and ending the duel. Instead of joining their happiness Amari felt overcome with dread.

_Trust him,_ she whispered to herself, but she couldn't help but feel fear take over as her eyes landed on Malik's unconscious form. She'd worked so hard to free him, sacrificed one of the most important people in her life just to get him back. She couldn't lose him now.

Marik's chaotic laughter jostled her back to reality just in time to witness the Pharaoh pass up his attack. Relief washed over her, and she met his eyes with a grateful look. He smiled back, but even through the distance she could tell he was under stress. She could feel uneasiness squirming in her gut as well, knowing his struggle. The uneasiness only increased when she caught Marik staring down at her. He was enjoying every second of this, she undoubtedly knew, knowing how much it was torturing her. She glared up at him, mustering as much defiance as she could manage. He grinned back with a wild expression, aware she was faking her boldness. He had all the confidence that he was going to win this duel.

_And what will I do to you then?_ He mocked silently. _Just Imagine. _She swallowed dryly, a cold sweat breaking on the back of her neck. His carnal grin spread wide before tearing in a horrible cackle and he turned back to the field. The Pharaoh growled, catching the silent conversation between them.

"No need to look so put out, old king," Marik teased with a twisted grin. "I haven't forgotten about you. In fact, here's a small gift to help summon your god," He placed Godsend on the field, allowing both of them to place six cards in their hand before placing his monster in defense and ending his turn with a brutal smirk. Amari looked on the others to see them all as confused as she felt. Why would he do something that would help power up Osiris? Now nothing was stopping the Pharaoh from-

Marik grinned as she pieced it together, her heart dropping into her stomach as Osiris was summoned. Without hesitation the Pharaoh called out his attack. Amari cried out for him to stop, but Marik's laughter drowned her out completely. He activated Revival of the Dark, returning Monster Reborn to his hand. Amari watched in utter horror as Ra burst to life onto the field, already in its phoenix form. She could only watch helplessly as Osiris's attack harmlessly bounced off the terrible beast.

"This isn't good," Jounochi spoke up, fists clenched and legs trembling. "In that form, Ra is in a class all its own. It's immune to all attacks for one turn, and even after that it's near invincible… I should know." Another wash of sympathy overcame Amari as she remembered seeing Jounochi fall unconscious, barely breathing, at the end of his duel. She hadn't witnessed the battle between him and Marik, but the results had been more than enough proof that the God card wasn't a thing to take lightly.

"Are you prepared for the end?" Marik chuckled darkly, his eyes trailing over the crowd as if looking out at an anticipating audience. His eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than the rest before returning to the Pharaoh. Amari clutched her arms, visibly shivering. The chanting began.

"No," she heard someone whisper, and she turned to find Ishizu standing behind her, hands clutched tightly together as if in prayer. She looked absolutely terrified, causing panic to swell within herself as well. Automatically her eyes went to Yugi, who met her stare instantaneously. He tried to smile, but she could see the agony he was truly in.

"It'll be okay," he mouthed to her, and a sudden shock tremored her body. She swayed, her mind traveling back to her last moment with Rune. She watched in her mind's eye as her past life was dragged down into the shadows and saw as her lips moved in a sequence she could not translate. Until now.

"Amari?" the worried voice was muffled and far away, as if she had heard it under water. This was too much for her, she decided. Relentlessly, her mind played over and over again Rune's last words to her._ It will be okay. _The words echoed in her ears as her mind shut down.

As the God's flames engulfed her family, Amari's eyes rolled back into her head and she crumpled to the floor.

* * *

**Author's note;**

**Gah. duels. why must they be so important. Anyway, thanks to this particularly long and important climax, this is going to take a while longer to finish. Please, hold all rotten vegetables and other assorted garbage until the end on my explanation. I do apologize for taking so long with this, especially when we are so close to the end, but school has really been kicking my but. I promise you all of my free energy has been put into finishing these last chapters for you guys. Alright. Fire away.**

**-M_q_**


	42. Dead Man

**Chapter Forty-One; **_Dead Man_

Amari opened her eyes to see Aki staring worriedly over her, Otogi halfway holding her and helping her realize he must have caught her before she fell. At first she just stared up into their faces blankly, confused as to what had happened. Her head buzzed as she sat up and looked around the worried faces of those near her.

"What happened?" she croaked, surprised to find her throat so hoarse. Aki's lips were drawn in a thin, pale line, her hands shaking.

"You fainted," Otogi spoke up when he realized she was too upset to speak. "When Marik attacked Yugi with Ra, you let out this horrible scream and just dropped. It was terrifying." Amari felt a lump crowd her throat, her eyes meeting the floor in shame. A subtle burning sensation crawled up her back, intensifying where Otogi's hands supported her. Automatically she brushed him off and stood without help, knowing Shadi was likely prodding her into action.

"How long was I out?" she asked, scanning the immediate area but finding no traces of the spectral overseer.

"Don't know," Otogi stated with a shrug. "You just missed Yugi's miraculous comeback, though. He used that card Kaiba gave him to help summon Obelisk. Marik only has 700 life points left." Amari looked towards the field, eyes locking on Marik's hunched over frame as he attempted to recover from the god's attack. His shoulders shook as he struggled to his feet, and Amari immediately recognized he was laughing. His smile was grotesque as he looked upon the Pharaoh.

"Impressive," he purred, making her skin crawl. "But you forget that I'm not the only one who suffers from your attack," Amari's eyes snapped to Malik instantaneously, a shrill gasp escaping her as a large portion of him was eaten away. There was almost nothing left of him now. A low chuckle reached her ears, one she knew was meant for her.

"How ironic," Marik continued on, "Here she abandoned us to prove you weren't a murderer and now you're about to snuff out the life she so desperately tried to save…" The Pharaoh said nothing, his jaw clenched as Marik's piercing gaze fell on her once again. "Tell me, Amari," he cooed, "will you still love him when once he kills your precious friend before your eyes?"

"He won't kill him." Yugi spoke up, though his voice sounded weak, and only then did Amari focus on just how little was left of him as well. Even so his eyes were bright and eager, unwavering in his vow. "We will win, and Malik will live." Marik's chuckle blew up into a full-out laugh, his pupils constricting in crazed delight.

Amari flinched as a subtle heat once again bit at her skin, only this time it wasn't nipping at her back. She looked down, lips parted in a look of shock, as the Sennen Bracelet began to glow. At the same moment a soft groan pricked her ears. She looked back to the field, a pained set of lavender eyes meeting hers. Malik was awake.

A sudden cry from Yugi tore her away from him, and she watched in silent horror as her cousin was reduced to nothing more than a head and bits of his limbs. His agony bounced off the walls in her head, driving her insane with their raw agony. She covered her ears to block them out, but it did nothing to help her. Shadi's message blended in with his screams, just as merciless. _Help him._ She fell to her knees once again.

"What am I supposed to do!" she cried, banging her fists against the ground. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" The others turned in her direction, a chorus of questions reaching out for her, but she ignored them all, Shadi's order overpowering everything else. She cried out again as the scars on her back burned, stronger and fiercer than ever before, and for a fearful second she thought whatever magic he had weaved had come undone and she would die right then and there. Only when she didn't feel any blood did she realize he was giving her a push.

Aki reached down to help pull her to her feet, and she clung to her friend's arm as she struggled to stand up. The burning intensified, catching on her wrist as the Sennen Bracelet glowed brighter. Her heart felt like it would explode in her chest.

Rune, help me! She begged, but as she expected she received no answer. Rune was far gone. She would have to figure this out on her own.

A cool hand came to rest over her shoulder, causing her to flinch as the scars flared up even more. She turned to see Anzu staring her down intensely, and without a word the other girl wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"I told you to give up on me." She murmured low in her ear, and Amari jerked away from her in disbelief. Malik nodded in answer to her unspoken question before turning to the arena to stare the Pharaoh dead in the eyes. "Don't hesitate!" he called out to him. "Finish this duel and defeat my darker half. I've already prepared for the end,"

"No!" Amari strangled out, grabbing him by the shoulders as the others looked on them in confusion and curiosity. "You can't give up!" she choked out. "Please, let us save you! Please!" Malik offered her a ghost of a smile before taking her hands in his. Where his thumb grazed the Bracelet it blazed with new life, the burning dwindling down to soft warmth.

"I've already come to terms with this outcome," he told her softly, gripping her hands in a comforting gesture. "In order to stop this madness, Marik has to die. I'll gladly sacrifice myself if it means stopping this monster." He closed his borrowed eyes for a fraction of a second, his forehead coming to rest against hers. Inaudibly, his lips parted to whisper her name. "None of this is your fault, nor could you have prevented it." He told her. "I don't want you suffering for my misunderstandings."

"How_ touching_." Marik suddenly sneered above them, and Malik shot him a look of disdain. "Or is the word I'm looking for pathetic? You've come crawling out of your hole just to forgive the people you despise most?" Malik stepped away from her, jabbing an accusing finger in his dark half's direction.

"The only one I despise here is you," he spat. "I know the truth now, that you killed my father. You deserve death for all the misery you've caused," Amari had never seen such fury in his eyes as when he looked upon the demon in charge of his body, but despite the sudden chill he gave off she clutched his hand tighter, shivering as his words echoed Marik's in the elevator. "I'll gladly go to hell if it means I can drag you with me."

In spite of the threat, Marik laughed. "You really think I can be destroyed so easily?" he mocked. "I'm stronger than you ever were!"

"Malik, please," Ishizu begged, standing on his other side. Amari let him go as Ishizu placed her hands on his shoulders, much in the same way she had done, looking panicked and desperate. "Please, there's another way. There's no need to sacrifice yourself to stop him. Let the Pharaoh handle this. For me, for Amari, for Rashid." At the mention of his brother, Malik grimaced and stepped away from the two of them.

"You're wrong," He insisted, staring at each of their wounded expressions in turn, "this is the only way for it to end." Above them, Marik let out another horrible laugh. He activated Mining for Magical Stones, followed closely after by Monster Reborn and Swallowtail Spike Lizard. Fear entangled itself around her heart like barbed wire, knowing his plan. He was going to up his life points for Ra so he could end this duel once and for all. He was done messing around. She had no doubt it was because Malik was conscious. It meant his control was weakening.

"Finish him off!" She heard Jounochi yell, and she was suddenly overcome by anger. How could he say that when it meant Malik would die? She wanted to go give him a piece of her mind, but Malik held her back with a shake of his head. She decided to place her anger somewhere else.

"Why?" she demanded. "Why do you want us to throw your life away like this? Why should you have to die for _him?"_

"Why are you so set on saving me when doing so means_ Yugi_ will die?" he shot back. Her scars burned in response, asking her the same thing. Amari shied away from him, looking back onto the field where so little of her cousin remained. Tears returned to her eyes.

"It's not fair," she choked out. She looked back at Malik through a blurred veil of anguish, but he did nothing to reach out and comfort her.

"No," he agreed. "But it's the way things must be."

Ra once again returned to the field in a brilliant burst of light. Marik ordered it to attack Obelisk, but the Pharaoh was quicker. Another brilliant flash brought Osiris back to the field as a shield for Obelisk. Amari clasped her hands over her ears as Obelisk let out a deafening bellow of rage in response to his fallen comrade.

Marik grinned, not at all concerned, but instead of mocking them with laughter like she expected him to, he began chanting. Her heart dropped into her stomach as Marik and Ra merged. He sacrificed all monsters on his side of the field, bringing his points way above Obelisk's. Before he could attack, the Pharaoh activated his card Soul Taker, allowing him to steal one of Marik's monsters as a sacrifice for Obelisk.

"If he's smart, he'll sacrifice Ra and end this duel permanently." Kaiba spoke up somewhere behind her. Amari turned to look at him, having forgotten he was even there. Next to him was Mokuba, who was too enthralled by the duel to notice her staring his way. She turned away again when she felt Malik's gaze on her, but instead of looking his way she scanned the shadows around them. Her back flared angrily, but Shadi was still nowhere to be found.

"I sacrifice God Slime!" the Pharaoh's voice boomed, bringing her eyes back to the field. God slime dissolved, its essence flowing into the gigantic, blue beast. His attack points steadily rose and rose.

"Smart move," Malik murmured next to her. "God slime serves as a double sacrifice. Now his attack points are infinite."

The Gods clashed, but when the dust cleared no one had fallen. Amari took a sharp breath, seeing Marik had pulled out another card at the last possible moment. Now only monsters with a higher star count can destroy Ra. Jounochi cursed loudly some feet away from her as Obelisk's points dwindled back down to 4000.

Marik went in for the kill, but the Pharaoh was quick to activate another magic card. The Dark Magician Girl appeared on the field, and the Pharaoh sacrificed Obelisk and his other monster to activate her ability to block Ra's attack. Marik cackled.

"Fool!" he cried. "You've only delayed the inevitable, and now you have no other Gods to protect you! You've just handed me my victory."

"So you would think," the ancient spirit answered gruffly. At his words, a golden cask rose on his side of the field. "You see, my magic card allows me to also summon a second Spellcaster from my hand," Seconds later, the Dark Magician broke free from the cask. The others cheered, knowing now he could activate the card Ragnarok and end the duel.

"This is it," Malik breathed next to her. He met her watery stare with a stony one of his own and reached for her hand again. She took it, surprised in feeling a slight tremble in his borrowed fingers. He was scared. Of course he was. Despite his begging for them to give up on him, he didn't want to die. She wanted to give him some sort of comfort, but her mouth refused to form any coherent words. All she could do was stare up at him, heart aching with all the things she wanted to say. Understanding what she was trying to tell him, Malik smiled. He enveloped her in a tight embrace, only regretting that he wasn't going to be in his own body to say goodbye.

"Thank you," he murmured into her hair. "You are an excellent friend, Amari. I'm sorry I ever doubted you." Amari had to bite her tongue to keep from sobbing out loud. It couldn't end this way, it just _couldn't_. She screwed her eyes shut, dreading the second his soul would disappear.

All noises stopped. The field was still, no plays being called, no manic laughter. Malik had stopped breathing. What was going on? Slowly, Amari opened her eyes and stepped out of Malik's embrace. Everyone was frozen, as if they had been turned into statues made of flesh and bone. The only thing that continued to swirl was the darkness around her. Her back burned.

Out from the gloom stepped a familiar silhouette, his blue orbs being the first physical feature she saw. Her hands clenched into fists and trembled at her sides, but the anger didn't fully reach her voice as she shouted, "Where the hell have you been?"

"I've been here," Shadi replied calmly, "waiting for you to make your choice, but I can wait no longer." Amari shivered, his eyes resting on her in unblinking command. "The time has come. Who will you save?" Amari forced herself to take a deep breath before looking around at the frozen faces of the ones she loved. This was her destiny? To pick which of those closest to her would die? If that were truly the case, then her destiny was a farce. To hell with the Fates; she knew her decision.

"I refuse," she answered at long last. "I will not sacrifice either of them for this cause."

"You must choose," Shadi pressed, but his expression did not change. "If you do not, then they both die." Amari took a staggering step back.

"Both?" she wheezed, as if she had just been kneed in the stomach. She would lose both?

"Both," Shadi confirmed. "Lose one, or lose everything. That is your choice." Amari looked back at Malik's borrowed face, staring deeply into the unseeing lavender irises. She didn't want to lose him, but giving up Yugi and the Pharaoh was not an option. Tears slid down her cheeks when she realized, neither was losing him.

She turned back to look at the spirit. "Then I choose both," she said. A slight look of annoyance, the first expression Amari had ever seen him wear, flickered in his will-o-wisp eyes.

"You can't choose both," he told her in exasperation. "It isn't possible-"

"Then I'll make it possible!" she cut him off defiantly. Both were silent, Amari glaring at Shadi as he stared stoically back at her, apparently thinking. After awhile, he allowed a small nod.

"Very well," He consented, "but know this, Amari Hitore: the choice you have made today will have its aftereffects. Whether they happen tomorrow or within the next hundred years only Fate can know, but every choice has its consequences." A shiver crawled up her spine at his foresighted omen, but she nodded.

"Malik!" Amari spun at the sound of the new voice, giddy in realizing time had sped up again. Rashid staggered forth from the elevators, and Ishizu rushed over to aid him. Both players' eyes were locked on him as he moved toward the base of the arena, but he remained focused on the possessed Anzu. Amari looked back to where Shadi had been standing, not surprised to find him no longer there.

"Malik, you have to fight him!" he urged through pained gasps. Jounochi came up beside him for support, but Ishizu stopped him, letting go of him as well. She went to Amari's side, looking down at her questionable stare. She shook her head.

"He has to do this himself. This is his destiny." She told her in a soft whisper. Amari nodded back, realizing Ishizu knew what had just happened to her moments ago. The two brothers stared each other down, Malik looking torn.

"It's too late for him," Marik called down. "I've already won control of this body, and I don't intend of giving it back to such a weak person as him." The darkness in his eyes blazed, covering his lavender irises in a black haze as his entire face contorted into that of a demon. "This body is mine."

"You're wrong." Rashid panted, gripping the railing for support. "That body will never belong to you. Not as long as I live." Marik growled down at him, pointing the Rod in his direction.

"Then die!" he sneered, the Rod glowing brightly as Rashid was suddenly lifted into the air and thrown across the arena. Amari screamed in time with Ishizu, but Rashid immediately struggled to return to his feet. This time he turned his attention back to Malik, smiling slightly as blood dribbled down the corner of his mouth.

"You can beat him, Malik." He insisted. "You did it once before, just fight him!" With another inhumane roar Marik blasted Rashid again, and this time Ishizu couldn't hold back. With a cry she ran to her older brother, cradling him in her arms. She murmured something sharply in Arabic when he tried to tell her he was fine, and he stayed down. His eyes met Amari's for a fraction of a second before returning to Malik. "We all… have to face our demons…" he grunted with difficulty. "Please, Malik… face yours. You… of all people… can destroy him."

Amari let out an involuntary yelp when the Bracelet flared back to life, burning her wrist as it glowed like a star. Malik turned to look at her, overcome with a strong determination. Without thinking she grabbed his wrist, and the Bracelet's glow intensified as the fire it held transferred to him. Malik offered her one more smile before the Bracelet stopped glowing and his soul left Anzu's body. Anzu staggered for a few seconds before snapping back to reality, but Amari's attention was already on the field.

Marik let out a howl of pain as he clutched the empty space where his eye should have been. Ra let out a similar shriek below him and he let out a string of curses. "You _witch!_" he snarled, pointing a shaking finger down at her. "What have you done!" He lowered his hand, and butterflies erupted in her gut when she saw the space was filled with Malik's own eye.

Seeing his chance, the Pharaoh activated Ragnarok, and the crowd watched as his monsters encircled Ra, lead by the two other God Cards. Ra let out a horrible screech as Osiris coiled its body around them in a vice hold. Obelisk grabbed the back of Ra's neck, followed by the rest of the monsters' retraining hands. The two Spellcasters lifted their staffs to the black sky, generating a magic circle. As one the monsters were lifted into the sky, Marik's screams deafening the ears of everyone below. To Amari, it was the greatest sound she'd ever heard.

As soon as the monsters were devoured by the circle, the spell dissipated. Everyone cheered, Ishizu being one of the loudest of all. Amari released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and met the Pharaoh's eyes. She smiled at him, and though he smiled back she knew it was not over yet. Across the field the smoke began to clear, and Amari felt her smile grow as Malik appeared from the shadows. His head was bent as he stared at his hands in wonderment.

"Malik," the Pharaoh called tentatively, and Malik looked over at him with a grin.

"There's one thing left to do," he called back, and the Pharaoh nodded in agreement. Behind Malik was a small, floating mass, the rest of his demon, Marik's demented eye. It moved its unblinking gaze across the crowd in jerked movements, his voice ringing out from somewhere in the gloom.

"You think this is over?" he demanded. "I will only come back stronger than before. You can't kill me!" Malik ignored his dark half's taunts.

"Try me." Malik called back with a smirk, and across the field the Pharaoh mirrored his expression. Raising hid hand, Malik turned to the referee. "I surrender this duel." He said, placing his hand over his deck. Roland nodded his consent, turning towards the crowd with a flag raised in the Pharaoh's direction.

"The winner of the Battle City Tournament is Yugi Mouto!" he cried, but his words were quickly drowned out by the cheers of everyone else. Immediately the gang rushed forward as the Shadow Game lifted, but Amari stayed where she was. She watched in satisfaction as the last of Marik faded away, but she felt a knot of uneasiness tangle her insides as his low chuckle hummed in her ears. She snapped out of it as Ishizu and Rashid came up behind her, Rashid being supported by Ishizu. There were tears of joy in both their eyes, and Amari found their grins to be infectious. She turned and immediately jumped into the Pharaoh's arms.

"Thank you!" she cried, feeling his chest vibrate in a laugh as her momentum unbalanced his stance. She let go as she felt a pair of eyes on her back and turned to find Malik standing there. Everything around her felt muted as she stared into his eyes, unclouded by darkness. He smiled down at her, and she up at him.

"Glad to have you back," she breathed. His grin grew as the two of them laughed, but soon they dissolved away as other emotions bubbled to the surface. He latched onto her, his hand resting on the back of her neck as he pulled her close to him, pretending he couldn't hear the small snifflings she made into his shoulder. Her fingers caught themselves on the fabric of his shirt as she clung to him like a she could be blown away at any moment. He held onto her even tighter to make sure that couldn't happen. He rested his cheek against the veil of her dark hair, breathing in her familiar scent that told him he was really here, that the shadows didn't still have their grip on him, and he realized he was clinging to her as much as she was clinging to him. He exhaled, catching another smile on the next intake of breath. "Yeah," he stated softly. "Me too."

Never, in his whole life, had he felt more free.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**And we're at the home stretch! Just one more chapter to go, and this fic is complete. You guys have been so awesome to me, you have no idea. Seriously, I never expected to get so many positive responses to this story, but you all have proved me wrong. Thank you so much. I hope you'll all stick with me for the sequel (and a couple of revisions, of course)**

**-M_q_**


	43. Epilogue

**Chapter Forty-Two: Epilogue;** _Don't Say Goodbye_

Amari sat alone in the dark of her bedroom, a golden sunrise kissing her window pane as gentle shadows danced around her. They weren't the chocking, pure blackness she had become accustomed to as of late, but the benign flickers of the day's first life. She smiled softly to herself, realizing how much her perspective of the dark had changed since this whole ordeal began. She was no longer afraid of the pitch blackness of a windowless room, now knowing there was a much sinister darkness out there for her to fear.

The tournament was over, and slowly things were returning to normal in the Mouto household. She knew moments of peace like this were things for them to treasure, especially after all the chaos of the past weeks and the promise of more yet to come. A long sigh escaped through her nose as she twisted the Bracelet on her wrist, deep in thought.

After the tournament had officially ended, Malik had given up Ra to the Pharaoh, along with the Sennen Rod and Ring. He announced he had one more task to complete as a Tomb Keeper, and Amari had to look away when he showed them the same scars he had already shared with her. When the Pharaoh was unable to decipher the meaning the symbols held, a sickening feeling squirmed in her gut, thinking all of the pain they'd suffered through—that Malik had suffered through—had been a waste. Then, suddenly, a vision of a stone tablet appeared before them, telling the Pharaoh it would be the key to unlocking his memories. Malik seemed satisfied with this, and only when he smiled reassuringly at her did she smile as well.

Now they were gone, headed back to Egypt to start on a new life. Amari was happy for them, relieved they were going to do what they could to get their lives back in order. Still, she knew she would miss them terribly.

_And to think, _she thought with a stifled chuckle, _this all started a little over a month ago with a kidnapping, of all things_. She lowered herself back down on the bed, staring intensely at her ceiling. It was still too early to get out of bed yet, not that it mattered since she was wide awake. She hadn't even bothered changing from the night before, having stayed up all night thinking.

Malik had told them that everyone Marik had locked away in the Shadow Realm should have returned after he had been banished there as well, but while Mai and even Bakura had revived, there was still one soul still missing. For the last two days Amari had tried stretching her mind to form a connection to Rune, but no matter how hard she searched though the soul chamber they shared, Rune was nowhere to be found. Or, if she was, she didn't want to be found. It was this that bothered Amari. Even thinking on it now, she felt tears spring to her eyes.

"Why?" she whispered into the quiet morning, closing her eyes against the pain. "Why won't you come back, Rune?"

A light tapping at her door caused her heart to leap into her throat, only to be disappointed when the one who stood there was Yugi.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" he asked, his voice hushed so as not to disturb their grandfather in the next room. Amari nodded in reply, looking out the window to hide her resentment. "Feel like going for a walk?" he asked. She shrugged, but when she looked back at him she saw the deep worry in his eyes. She sighed again and offered him a half smile.

"Okay," she whispered back, and with a satisfied nod he lead her down the steps and out into the morning air. A milky-white mist greeted them and covered her bare arms like a wet coat. She rubbed them in response, hoping to chase away the chill it filled her with, as they strode together down a cramped back alley. They walked in a comforting silence, following the twists and turns of the sleeping city until the plaza appeared in front of them. They sat down on the ledge of the fountain, Amari's gaze drifting to the shallow water at its whitewashed base. The sun's low reflection turned the water gold, and she dipped her fingers in just to be certain it really wasn't.

"When was the last time we just hung out like this?" she asked him suddenly. Yugi responded with a soft laugh, and without thinking she found herself joining in. She'd forgotten how good it felt to laugh without hindrance. She closed her eyes as the sun's warmth grew the higher it rose into the sky. She felt so at peace, like she could forget about the world and just let it slip away for an eternity or two.

The moment was quickly shattered when Yugi frantically shook her arm to gain her attention. She turned his way, but he wasn't looking at her. Amari turned her gaze forward to see what he was so interested in, only to have time stop for her when a translucent form met her eyes. On shaky limbs she scrambled to her feet, her head spinning as the person walked steadily forward.

Rune's emerald eyes flashed playfully under the pink sky, her lips parted in a warm smile as she made her way towards them, an invisible buffer keeping her feet from fully touching the ground. Tears fell from Amari's eyes as she covered her mouth with her trembling hands. She was here. Rune was really here.

"_Hello, Hikari,"_ she greeted with a silvery laugh, but it sounded very far away, as if carried on the wind. Amari lowered her hands to reveal her own feeble smile.

"Took you long enough to come back," she cracked, trying to sound mad, but it hardly worked. She was too overcome with relief to feel much else. Rune laughed again, but this time her smile held a hint of sadness.

"_I originally wasn't going to come back," _she admitted.

"What do you mean?" Yugi spoke up at last. Amari looked from him to her, the same question filling her eyes.

"_I mean what I said,"_ she replied, her voice mingling with the rustling summer leaves around them. Her eyes locked on Amari's in a strong but gentle hold. _"Amari, I can't return to the Bracelet."_

It took a moment for what Rune said to hit her, and when it did she let out another laugh of denial. "Come on, Rune," she giggled hysterically. "Of course you can come back! You're free from the Shadows now…" The look Rune wore caused her to doubt herself. "Aren't you?"

She nodded, but her smile disappeared. _"I am,"_ she confirmed, _"but I wasn't just freed from the Shadow Realm." _She looked past them to stare into the silver clouds rolling in from the distant horizon. _"Amari, I've been a prisoner of the Sennen Bracelet for the last three-thousand years, trapped by its own ability to transfer and project emotions."_ She closed her eyes against the memory before turning her eyes back to them. _"As I laid dying, the last thing I thought about was how I could help the Pharaoh." _

Her gaze shifted to Yugi then, who stared upon her in wonderment. "_The Bracelet heard my thoughts and preserved my soul within itself so I could do what I wanted, but now my time is done here."_ She glided forward, her transparent arms stretched as if to embrace them, imploring Amari to understand_. "Only after I found you did I realize my real destiny was to aid you to yours, and that you would complete my wish from centuries ago. Amari, you've grown so strong, stronger than I had ever been. You don't need me to guide you any longer." _

"But I _do_, I do need you, Rune!" she protested, sobs pressing though her words as she fought to hold them back. Rune crossed her arms, a thoughtful smile on her lips.

"_Yet you did so much without me,"_ she pointed out. _"You're so caught up in everything to see how far you've really come on your own. You can't see just how much you've grown, but I can. I can see it clearly."_

"I can't lose you again," she whimpered, finally able to get herself under control. Rune shook her head, her body slowly fading into the rapidly intensifying sunlight.

"_You're not losing me at all, you silly girl,"_ she promised. She was now nothing but a faint outline of herself, but her voice rang out surprisingly clear. _"I'll still be with you, just unseen, as it should be…"_

"I love you, Rune." She said.

"_And I you, Hikari."_ She answered, her voice now nothing more than the chilly morning breeze, the rest of her dissolving into the brightness of dawn. The Pharaoh wrapped his arms around her as they watched the sun climb the rest of the way over the city's skyline.

"She's right, you know," he spoke up. His voice was rough as he spoke, telling her he was fighting his own emotional battle. "She'll always be watching out for you." She looked up into his eyes, filled with the same bitter sweetness she tasted on her tongue. She squeezed the hand still resting on her shoulder and smiled past her tears.

"For both of us," she corrected, and he smiled in agreement.

A lone silhouette entered their area of vision, and the two looked over to see Jounochi standing there, a duel disk on his arm. His eyes were bright with a look the two of them recognized as a challenge. The Pharaoh stepped away from her to put on his own duel disk, and Amari raised an eyebrow at him. She hadn't even realized they'd brought it.

"You knew he was coming here, didn't you?" she accused. He winked at her in reply before once again going serious.

"Will you be alright?" he asked. She paused a moment before answering.

"Yeah," she answered quietly with a smile. "I'll be fine." She surprised herself when she felt she meant it. He leaned forward to kiss her forehead before turning to face his opponent, and a holographic field materialized between them.

"Duel!" they cried in unison, and the battle was on its way. Amari sat down on the edge of the fountain, tuned in to the soft rustling of the leaves and the rippling waters of the fountain as it trickled to life. She shielded her eyes against the bright morning light, smiling to herself as she felt a presence hovering next to her.

The Pharaoh blew away Jounochi's first monster, and Amari cupped her hands over her mouth and cheered.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**Finally, the last chapter of this story is complete. Thank you all who have been with me since this was first posted back in 2008 (ack, so long ago!) and for all the support you've given to me. Really, I could never thank you guys enough, especially since I never expected anyone to actually _read_ this except for the person I had originally made it for. And, since you guys have all been so wonderful, I have a few bonus chapters I plan to put up before I label this fan fiction complete. **

**Thank you, again. You guys have been fantastic. **

**-Midsummer'sQueen.**


	44. Bonus Chapter One

**Disclaimer: This is one of three bonus chapters I will be posting in the wake of Like Old Times' completion. This first one is an excerpt of the first chapter from Malik's point of view. It's a bit short, but I hope you will enjoy it anyhow.  
**

* * *

**Chapter One;** _Omens _(Malik's PoV)

At first I don't even recognize her. Her back is to me as I approach from the other side of the street, pushing past the other, more eager individuals milling about the city's center and awaiting the orders of their ringleader, Seto Kaiba. The large screen above us counts down the mere minutes left until his "spectacular" announcement of the start of this wretched tournament he's concocted. I can't help but sneer at the thought, knowing what these games had once been before it had all been reduced to a child's card game. What a mockery! How my ancestors would weep.

My eyes scan the crowd, not even fully conscious of what I'm searching for, until a glint of metal catches my interest. I hold my breath as she halfway turns in my direction, her lips curled and parted in a full out laugh. The glint of metal that had grabbed my attention hangs limply from the wrist she uses to pull back a strand of her dark, ever-shifting hair. Her emerald eyes gleam in the low light and glow from within in pure, short-term happiness. She's not the child I used to know, but a woman. A beautiful one, at that. Her hands are now moving excitedly in front of her as she chatters to a smaller Asian girl who smiles back at her in a polite manner. I have to smirk at that. The girl was always such a chatterbox, and witnessing her from afar now tells me not much has changed. I can't help but laugh at myself, my mind still recognizing her as I knew her before. I run a hand through my hair as I try focusing on the present, rather than past, her.

She suddenly turns, and I swear I can hear her voice as she calls out, but I can clearly pick it out as nothing but a memory. The voice I hear is much too high-pitched, the voice of a child. I take an involuntary step forward, propelled by the memory of her. My only friend from the outside world. I want to run and meet her, say hello, pick up where we left off all those years ago.

My mind clutches to our last meeting, our small bodies huddled together in the dunes as she cried and told me she didn't want to go. The old ache burns my throat, and my fingers itch in wanting to hold her again. I feel a smile tug at my own lips, realizing this is what it feels like to have something that had been missing returned to me. I came to this land to avenge my father, and here I gain another precious person in his place-

She turns and jumps into the arms of another person, a boy. I stop advancing, taking in the scene, her cheerful smile and friendly peck on his cheek, see his own smile in return. My throat goes dry as my vision narrows to only see _him. _

I recognize him immediately, and rage overcomes any thoughts of nostalgia I've just been entertaining. Out of everyone in this wretched country, this wretched city, she has to be with _him? _My fists clench at my sides as my head starts to spin from my un-paced breaths. My mortal enemy, the man who murdered my father, is with her.

Though she's let go of him, his hand still hangs loosely in hers. How can he touch her so leisurely? Are they lovers? The word _mine_ burns the back of my throat, though I can hardly justify it to myself. I vaguely recall her saying she was going to live with a cousin, but that makes me angrier than the idea of him being her lover. The man who killed my father is also the blood relative of my best friend? _My_ Amari? It tastes bitter on my tongue, but it rings true. Fate is a cruel woman, indeed.

I no longer advance, my feet retreating instead as I bump into the shoulders of the people behind me. They whine, but I ignore them, my thoughts going to dark places. The more bodies that come between us, the more I feel myself stretching the invisible thread that ties us together. Only one good thing can come of this. She means something to him in some impossibly intimate way. If I can get my hands on her I can use her against him, make her my hostage. If he reacts like he should, I will win much quicker and much easier than I've planned. If he doesn't, and shows less than expected worry for her, I can turn her against him. I can get her back. I'll be killing two birds with one stone.

By the time the clock reaches zero and the booming voice of the pompous Kaiba carpets over the crowd, I'm already halfway down a deserted back street, on my way back to deploy the first stage of this newly formulated plan. It will take a few days to put everything in order, but I have no doubt this will work out in my favor, no matter what turn it takes. The hero always wins in the end.


	45. Bonus Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: This is the second of three bonus chapters written in the wake of LOT's completion. This second one is a dropped idea I had for when the sequel was first brought up. As I said this is the sequel I will_ not_ be writing, but there _will_ be a real sequel. There are a few reasons why this sequel wouldn't work, but... well, it's best not to dwell on past failures. I hope you enjoy it anyway!  
**

* * *

**The Gift**

Amari closed her eyes. The room had been spinning for the past hour, her fever fueling the world around her to jerk and twist around more than a roller coaster at Kaiba Land. It was the beginning of summer, and Amari had landed a job baby-sitting for the couple down the road. Unfortunately, her first job had consisted of a seven-year-old with a stomach flu, which was now passed to her. She'd stopped vomiting a couple hours ago, but now all she wanted to do was sleep.

As she laid in bed trying to drift back into her dreams, her thoughts wandered back to where they always did whenever her mind wasn't busy: Rune.

Was she happy in her after life? Was she watching her right now, scoffing at how poorly she was taking care of herself? Did she miss Amari as much as she missed her?

Amari turned over, tangling herself farther into her bed sheets until a sudden heat flash forced her to banish them to the edge of her bed. She buried her head in her pillow, fighting off a fresh wave of nausea and tears. It had already been a year, but the pain of losing her past self was still so new. Rune had always been with her, since her parents had died. In many ways she'd replaced them. Now she had none of them, and the only person who could understand her feelings was now currently packing to go to Egypt, ready to go through the same agonizing experience.

Was she going? No. There was no way, even without this virus, that she could go. Just as the Pharaoh's past lay buried in the sands, so did her own. She could never go back, not with all of them gone. Not even to see Malik. He had been calling her constantly, trying to convince her to go, but after she began vomiting on the phone with him he gave up.

"It's your loss," he had told her, his voice a mix of doubt and disgust. "Ishizu will be disappointed," She didn't even have to ask if _he_ was disappointed. It was obvious by the tone in his voice. He knew it was more than a stomach flu keeping her away. And, as she always did, she felt guilty for hurting him again.

_I deserve to be selfish this time_. She tried convincing herself_. I'm not strong. I've never been. It was always Rune. Always. _

Amari jerked her head up when a soft knock echoed off her door, groaning as the action made the room spin faster. Yugi popped his head in, a timid smile on his face. He sat at the edge of her bed, a hand hovering over her back. He didn't place it down, but instead placed it back over the small, black box in his lap.

"I came to see how you were feeling," he said gently. He smiled faintly when she used another groan to answer him. "Are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself?" He chuckled, but she caught the hint of worry in his voice. She turned to her side so she could look at him.  
"I'm not a child. I can handle being home by myself," she replied. He shook his head slightly, a frown replacing his small smile.

"You look really sick," he told her, placing a hand on her cheek. "You're really burning up." She shooed his hand away, staring him straight in the eyes.

"Yugi, you have to go to Egypt," she said, her voice firm despite the fever. "The Pharaoh has waited long enough to have his memories restored. I'll be fine here," Amari watched as her cousin pursed his lips in a tight line, doubt etched into his expression.

"I have to take all the items with me," he said slowly, and Amari nodded just as slowly. It was then she noticed the box in his hands. Yugi sighed, placing the box on the small table by her head. "We leave tomorrow at ten, but I'll let you keep this tonight…" he trailed off, not needing to finish his sentence. She knew he was leaving it with her so she could say goodbye. In spite of herself, Amari felt her throat tighten.

"Thank you," she managed weakly, and Yugi moved the damp hair from her forehead.

"Get some sleep," he said, getting up and heading for the door. When Amari heard the door click shut, she turned over to face her ceiling. Every once in awhile she would look over at the black box next to her alarm clock, but she didn't get up to open it. The more she looked at it the heavier her eyelids felt. Eventually she found them too heavy to hold up anymore, and she drifted off into unconsciousness.

She was awoken by a muted light. Amari moaned softly, dreading that morning had already arrived, but as she opened her eyes she noticed the light wasn't entering from the window. She turned her head to face her table, finding the culprit to be the small crack in the little black box. Amari felt her chest tighten. Why would it be glowing? Rune was gone. Slowly she sat up so the world wouldn't knock her off balance and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She reached over and placed the glowing box in her lap. Her fingers trembled as she clumsily opened the latch. The Sennen Bracelet hummed where it lay, quivering like a young puppy excited to see its owner. Amari held her breath, afraid to touch it.

"You shouldn't be glowing," she snapped at it, as if the thing could really understand her. "She's not here anymore. She's gone, and so is your magic!" The Sennen Bracelet continued to glow softly, joyfully contradicting her words. Amari felt her lips quiver.

_Just pick it up_, she urged herself, the room beginning to spin again as she reached into the box.

"I see you've discovered the Bracelet's second ability," Amari withdrew her hand quickly and shut the box, her breath catching in her throat as she stared wide-eyed over at the boy standing by her window.

"Shadi," she gasped. The boy in question stepped forward into a shaft of moonlight, his two, blue orbs fixated on her swaying form. Once she could see straight again, she offered him a heavy stare in return. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"You've activated the second ability of the Sennen Bracelet," he repeated, pointing to the black box in her hands. "I came to make sure you wouldn't upset the balance,"

"What balance? And what second ability?" she asked flatly. "Rune never said anything about it,"

"I doubt the princess Runhket would have known about it," he answered levelly, "or if she did found she had no use for it… but obviously you do, or it wouldn't have activated," He suddenly appeared in front of her, causing Amari to yelp and scoot back, but before she could fall off the bed he grabbed a hold of the front of her shirt and pulled her back into a sitting position. She smacked him away, but he moved out of her reach before she could hit him.

"Must you always be so rough?" she grumbled.

"I wouldn't have to be if you weren't always falling down," he replied stoically. She answered him with something unintelligent but he ignored her, plucking the box from her hands and opening it to reveal its glowing contents. "How were you able to activate it?" he asked her.

"I didn't," she replied, wringing her hands together nervously now that she no longer held the box in her hands. She felt restless not holding it now. "It just randomly started glowing. It woke me up, actually,"

"Meaning it activated on its own," he murmured softly, to himself or her Amari was uncertain. "Perhaps destiny isn't over with you after all," He turned back towards her, holding the box out to her. "Since it has activated in response to you, you are the only one able to use its second ability. Use it wisely," Amari took the box back in her hands, automatically shifting her eyes down to the small ring of gold.

"But how can I use it wisely if I don't-" she looked up again to find him gone, and instead of finishing her sentence she growled irately. _Why does he_ always _disappear?_ She wondered to herself, looking back down at the box. In it the Sennen Bracelet continued to glow softly, coaxing her to pick it up. This time she listened and slipped the bracelet on her wrist.

Night shifted to day in a matter of seconds. Amari looked around, only to find herself no longer in her own bedroom. Instead of her navy blue comforter she found herself sitting on soft, off-white sheets, mosquito netting hanging above her head. The room was smaller than hers, but it was comfortably furnished. Slowly she stood up, only to find she no longer felt dizzy. Actually, she hardly felt sick at all.

What was going on?

"Amari?" someone called with a soft rapping on the door. Amari turned to face it as a person entered the room, the black box slipping from her hands. A woman with dark hair stood in the entryway, a hand sassily laid on her hip.

"And here I thought you were going to stay in bed all day," she chided with a smirk. "Come on, lazy bones, it's time for breakfast…" the woman's smile faded when she saw the tears streaming down Amari's face. "Amari, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Amari threw herself at the woman, burying her face into her shoulder and breathing in her long-forgotten yet familiar scent.

"It's nothing," she croaked out. "I just had a bad dream is all, mom,"

* * *

**Author's Note;**

**So, yes, this was the dropped idea. **

**As I had stated in the disclaimer, there are many reasons why this didn't work for me as a proper sequel. The original idea of this story would have been Amari activating the Sennen Bracelet's ability to project the emotions of the wearer and fulfill their inner wishes. This was mentioned briefly in the epilogue when Rune explained how she became trapped in the Bracelet to begin with. Amari would have been able to activate it through her strong thoughts of loneliness in the wake of Rune's passing and remembering her parents' deaths. In response the Bracelet would have transported her to an alternate life where her parents were never killed and she grows up with them in Egypt. The basic idea would have been that her parents would have adopted the Ishtar siblings after their father's murder. There were many other things I had planned for this, but since a few ideas ended up transferring over to the actual sequel, I will not go any further into this dead plot. **

**I was going to save this as the last bonus chapter, but this other one is taking me longer to write than I thought. D:**

** -M_q_**


	46. Bonus Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: This is the last bonus chapter from LOT, as well as the last excerpt of the scratched sequel idea. This excerpt holds no importance in regard to the actual sequel of LOT. **

* * *

They stared at each other from across the table. His eyes drilled into her with such intensity that it brought her back to that first time they met again in that dark, shadowy room. Her heart pounded in her ears as she remembered how he'd treated her, not as a stranger, but as a pawn, a bug that could be squashed without consequence. The slap he had given her then was nothing compared to the tightening in her chest now. She braced herself against the counter, gripping the plate with all she had so it wouldn't fall through her shaking fingertips.

"I-I…" she stammered as he stood. Slowly he walked around the table, eyes transfixed on her with a ferocity that threatened to bring her to her knees. He stood directly in front of her, the heat of his body bouncing off hers. He reached out, and she flinched. He grasped the plate in her hand.

"I'll finish the dishes." He said. "Go sit down before you break something." Amari swallowed the hard lump in her throat and forced herself to release the plate. Blinking back tears she gave a tight nod and hurriedly inched her way around him to sit. His back stayed to her as she sat down, wiping the plate dry with the towel she'd discarded on the counter. Both were silent for a moment as he cleaned out the sink.

"Is she dead?" he finally asked. Amari looked over at him with a start, surprised when she saw how tense his shoulders were. Her lips quivered when she realized he was worried for her, this other Amari he had known before she'd woken to this reality. She looked down at the grain of the table, running her finger along the grooves to stop the tears crowding her throat.

"I don't know." She answered, voice hoarse. Malik glanced back at her briefly, and she didn't have to look back at him to know his anger was steadily rising.

"You don't know?" he mimicked flatly. She nodded, hearing the slap of the towel as it snapped against the porcelain sink. She risked a peak over at him and found him looming above her. He slapped his hand down next to her, and she jumped.

"_Where is she? What did you do with her? TELL ME!" _ he shouted. Amari forced herself not to flinch again, and with a carefully neutral expression she looked back up into his furious face. That expression was nothing new to her, and it helped her to keep herself calm.

"How much do you know about magic, Malik?" she asked. This seemed to take him back a bit, both mentally and physically.

"Magic?" he repeated. "There's no such thing." Amari shook her head.

"That's where you're wrong." She said, tilting her wrist so the Bracelet was caught in the light of the open window. "See this? In the place that I came from you gave this to me as a parting gift. It was so I could remember you, and Egypt, when I had to leave to live with my cousin in Japan after… after my parents died." She sat up straight, her eyes sharp as she took in his dumbfounded expression. "Where I am from is a completely different reality than this one. There, we are not family. In fact, we were enemies for a short while. But the magic of this Bracelet gave me the ability to change that. It let me return to a time and place where my parents lived, and I never had to leave Egypt."

Malik was silent a moment, a look of bewilderment crossing his lavender eyes as he processed her explanation. He placed a hand over his mouth and looked away as if thinking before turning back to look at her again.

"Are you trying to fuck with me?" he finally asked.

"What? No!" she cried. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"I don't know! Maybe you're crazy!" he snapped back, throwing his hands into the air. A hurt look passed her eyes that made him cringe a bit, though he wasn't sure why. If only she didn't look so much like her. To him, it was uncanny… that alone made him doubt himself. He sighed after a moment and ran a hand through his hair. "If what you said is true," he relented, "then where is she? Where did _my_ Amari go?"

"Thanks to my wish I _am _your Amari." She answered, exasperated. "Technically, the one you knew before my wish was granted never existed. She is me, and I am her, I guess. I don't really know how all of this is supposed to work itself out… but I do know that no one was supposed to notice the difference." She stood up, reaching out to touch his face in fascination. "So why did you?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Uh, so I just realized I never put up that last bonus chapter... so here it is! Sorry about that.**

**Also, some good news! My hiatus from here is officially over! (hooray, I think) Which means, All Fall Down will now be back in full swing. Please expect the next chapter by the end of the fall holidays. Thanks for your ever-present patience!**

**-M_q_**


End file.
